Christine Barnes is a Northfield resident and a volunteer at St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge. On its land and in its waters, St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge protects fourteen threatened or endangered species. Among these, the Redcockaded Woodpecker's life story is one of the more complex and intriguing. It is one of Florida's five birds on the Endangered Species list. In size, it falls between the Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers, which are frequent visitors to our suet feeders in Vermont. The 'RCW', as it's called here, has a rarely-seen tiny red streak on its head, so it appears to be only black and white.

The high-profile Whooping Cranes have all the luck: they are giant white birds, and evoke sympathy and concern. These little woodpeckers just keep on truckin', though, and with some awareness and careful management, are not only holding on, but are beginning to make small gains.

In the 1800s, RCWs spread as far west as Texas and east to Florida, Missouri, Kentucky, Maryland and New Jersey. Their story is one of habitat loss, with less than 1% of the woodpecker's original range still available for their use. RCWs make their homes primarily in longleaf and loblolly pines. The trick is, the pines must be 70-120 years old, and have a 'red heart disease' which rots the heartwood. This bird is the only woodpecker which excavates cavities exclusively in living pines. It takes between 1-3 years to complete a roosting cavity. Hardwood/pine forests for foraging must be nearby.

There is much competition for cavities: bees, other birds, and reptiles and mammals also covet these cozy roosts. Rat snakes are a primary predator. To discourage them, these woodpeckers peck resin wells on the cavity tree. Sticky sap adheres to the snake's scales and inhibits its climbing ability. RCWs also flake away the bark around the cavity, making a smooth surface so the snake can't hold on.

Their family life is particularly interesting. Highly socialized, RCWs live in a small family group consisting of 2-9 birds, but only one breeding pair. The young stay with their parents for several months. Other adults in the group are usually males, called helpers. They assist in incubation, feeding, carving out new cavities, and defending territory. A family group nests and roosts in clusters of cavity trees that may include 20 or more trees, on 3- 60 acres. Territories range from fewer than 100 acres to more than 250 acres.

Red-cockaded Woodpeckers may have the same mate for several years. The birds nest from April through June. The female lays 2-4 eggs in the male's roost cavity. Group members incubate the small white eggs during the day, but the breeding male remains with the eggs at night. Eggs hatch in 10-12 days, the breeding pair and helpers feed, and young birds fledge in approximately 26 days. Some males remain as helpers, and generally, females leave the group before the next breeding season.

Researchers have noted that females gather and hoard small bits of bone, presumably for its mineral content, in tree crevices. This is the first known instance of this kind of behavior in a bird.

Recovery plans include multiple strategies. On federal and state lands, management efforts include forestry practices that help create a favorable habitat. Guidelines and cooperative conservation agreements among government agencies and with private landowners are contributing to the recovery effort. In 10 years, RCW groups have increased nearly 30% to about 6,000.

At St. Marks, hardwood control, through cutting and prescribed burns, helps maintain the pinewood forests necessary for the birds' survival. Local school groups help plant new forests on longleaf pine on the refuge. Biologists create artificial cavity clusters in appropriate pine habitat where suitable foraging is available nearby.

In the 1980s, there were no noted females at St. Marks. Translocation, the permitted transfer of RCWs from another successful population, has helped to infuse the refuge with healthy birds. The current count here is approximately 45, with at least 15 potential breeding pairs. It will take decades to restore this species to a secure status, but there is progress.