FORGET THE TURKEY; FWC GIVES THANKS FOR A DIFFERENT BIRD THIS THANKSGIVING

November 22, 2005
Contact: Kim Jamerson (352) 333-9577 (office)
(850) 519-5111 (cell)

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) hopes more Floridians will be hearing the rat-tat-tat of red-cockaded woodpeckers (RCW) in their communities. The wildlife agency recently relocated dozens of birds from areas that have excess birds to parts of the state with critically small populations. FWC biologists said the process, called translocation, is a powerful tool for conserving red-cockaded woodpeckers, which the state classifies as a “species of special concern.” Their populations, once practically continuous across the state, are now isolated clusters. “Across their range, the population of red-cockaded woodpeckers has declined drastically, and one of the main reasons the population is beginning to recover is because of two important conservation tools - artificial cavities, and translocation,” FWC avian coordinator Robin Boughton said. “It truly is a success story.” Translocating woodpeckers is a delicate procedure.

Biologists must identify young birds at a donor site, find suitable habitat on the recipient site, and then create homes by inserting nest boxes into living pine trees to create artificial cavities. On moving day, FWC biologists use nets attached to telescoping poles to capture the birds from their holes, which can be 20-plus feet off the ground. Overnight, they drive the critters to their new location, place the birds into separate, but neighboring, artificial cavities and cover the holes with screen. At dawn, biologists remove the screen and anxiously wait for the birds to get acquainted. Boughton said the true measure of success is if the birds stay in the area and breed. About 50 to 60 percent of translocations are successful. “We’ve had wonderful results in Florida. There are many very small populations, and most of them are growing now,” Boughton said. “Before translocation, they were declining or, at best, stable.” Boughton said scientists will monitor these translocated birds periodically. They hope to see positive results by the next breeding season, which is May – July. FWC began translocating red-cockaded woodpeckers more than five years ago as part of the Southern Range Translocation Cooperative (SRTC), a group of private, state and federal partners from Florida, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia that are collaborating to help the species recover. In August, SRTC selected 10 areas in Florida to receive breeding pairs (see list below). FWC began moving birds to public lands in mid-October. Recipient Locations Avon Park Air Force Range (Highlands County) Babcock/Webb Wildlife Management Area (WMA) (Charlotte County) Blackwater River State Forest (Okaloosa and Santa Rosa counties) Bull Creek/Triple N Ranch (Osceola County) Camp Blanding (Clay County) Goethe State Forest (Levy County) Ocala National Forest (Lake, Marion and Putnam counties) St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge (Wakulla County) St. Sebastian River Preserve State Park (Brevard and Indian River counties) Withlacoochee State Forest (Citrus County)  

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