Rare Sighting: A Red-cockaded Woodpecker
It’s not often that FeederWatch participants report endangered species in their backyard. This past August, long-time FeederWatcher Chuck Gehringer spotted a Red-cockaded Woodpecker at his home in Pinehurst, North Carolina.
These small birds are identified by a black-and-white striped back, a white cheek, and, on males, a tiny, nearly invisible red streak (“cockade”) at the upper border of the cheek. Gehringer’s identification was helped by previous experience with the species–he had seen Red-cockaded Woodpeckers at Fred C. Babcock/Cecil M. Webb Wildlife Management area in Florida and at Weymouth Woods-Sandhills Nature Preserve in North Carolina.
The Red-cockaded Woodpecker is a habitat specialist of the Southeast’s once-vast longleaf pine stands. This old pine habitat with very little understory was shaped by the region’s frequent lightning fires. These woodpeckers will also inhabit stands of loblolly, slash, and other pine species. The species declined drastically as logging destroyed its preferred habitat. While once common, Partners in Flight estimates there are as few as 19,000 individuals left. Learn more about Red-cockaded Woodpeckers on the Cornell Lab’s All About Birds website.
Gehringer told us that he heard the woodpecker before he saw it, saying, “I heard it pecking on a tree in front of me. It then flew to a nearby pine tree and continued pecking. I was able to take a few poor photos of it due to the rainy weather that day.” Fortunately, the woodpecker returned, and Gehringer was able to get a better photo, which he later uploaded to FeederWatch’s Participant Photos Gallery Gehringer has seen the woodpecker a few more times since then, even spotting three individuals visiting his suet feeder in late August.
The Red-cockaded Woodpeckers visiting Gehringer’s feeders are banded, as can be seen in the photo. Bird banding, which involves placing a metal band and sometimes colorful plastic bands around birds legs (as well as gathering data about the birds), can help scientists differentiate between individuals of a species, as well as study birds’ age, ranges, and more. Bird banding in the U.S. is regulated by the US Geological Survey, and they have a website you can use to report banded birds. It remains to be seen whether these non-migratory woodpeckers will stick around in Gehringer’s yard for the upcoming 2022-23 FeederWatch season, but thanks to the bands, Gehringer should be able to tell if the same individuals return, or if different Red-cockaded Woodpeckers appear.
Participants are welcome to share photos of birds, FeederWatch count sites,or people watching birds by uploading photos to our Participant Photos Gallery page, located under the Community tab on the Project FeederWatch site.
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7 comments on “Rare Sighting: A Red-cockaded Woodpecker”
We are visited often by the red cockaded woodpecker. It usually visits our feeder all year long, even in the colder months.
A real beauty, but can be a tad destructive to our Willow tree.
That’s fantastic! I have seen them in preserve in NC and the Babcock/Cecil M. Webb Wildlife Management area in Florida. I also saw them in The Woodlands TX. I was visiting my cousin and found out he had them in the backyard. We also went for a hike in a woods nearby where there were nest holes.
I think this is the bird we spotted at our feeder in CURTICE, Ohio.
We thought it was a woodpecker but have never seen a “striped” one.
FYI Canada also has bird banding stations and banding is regulated federally. I volunteer at our local station in Metchosin, British Columbia, run by the Rocky Point Bird Observatory.
I had no clue these were endangered. I have been feeding them in my back yard for a couple of years. They really like the sunflower seeds/nut blend from Wild Birds Unlimited. I always thought it weird they eat out of a feeder as I thought they only pecked on trees to get bugs. We have a few pines in the area that haven’t been logged they are in pecking all the time. Guess I should feel special as they are endangered. 🙂
I saw a rose breasted grosbeak in Southern California. I described on Bing Chat and looked it up in my book and read that its closest habitat to California is in the very north eartern corner of New Mexico.
“I’m absolutely fascinated by the Red-cockaded Woodpecker! These little birds are not only incredibly charming but also play a vital role in their ecosystem. It’s heartwarming to learn about their cooperative nesting behavior, where several generations work together to maintain their cavity nests. Their reliance on longleaf pine forests for habitat underscores the importance of preserving these ecosystems.
I’ve read that the Red-cockaded Woodpecker has been listed as an endangered species, making conservation efforts even more critical. It’s encouraging to see organizations and dedicated individuals working tirelessly to protect their habitat and ensure their survival.
I hope more people will learn about and appreciate these beautiful birds and join the efforts to conserve their habitats. Together, we can make a difference and help ensure that future generations can continue to marvel at the Red-cockaded Woodpecker’s unique beauty and behavior.”
Seen one in my feeder on August 4 I’m in Myrtle Beach S.C. A beautiful bid
I think I might have seen a Red-cockaded woodpecker here in South Jersey. I thought it was a Hairy woodpecker, except it didn’t have red on the back of its head. It had black-and-white coloring and looked just like a Hairy woodpecker. It was on my feeder and then flew into a tree. It has shown up twice so far today. It is a cloudy, chilly, damp day with a temperature of 37 degrees.
Hello Gale, thank you for reaching out. You likely saw a female Hairy Woodpecker, that does not have any red marks on its head. Feel free to check out Cornell’s All About Birds page on Hairy Woodpecker ID here.