Red Cockaded Woodpecker is making a comeback in Hitchcock Woods

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – The Purple Cockaded Woodpecker is a uncommon sight to see today, however they do name the CSRA house. They’ve been on the endangered species listing for the reason that Seventies and just one% of the unique inhabitants stays. The largest motive for lowering numbers is the lack of habitat.

Longleaf Pine habitat as soon as lined 90 million acres from Virginia to Texas. Now solely 4 million acres stay and species just like the Purple Cockaded Woodpecker that decision this habitat house have seen their numbers drop drastically. The Hitchcock Woods Basis in Aiken County is attempting to reverse that pattern.

Bennett Tucker, Woods Superintendent for HWF, mentioned, “via utilizing prescribed hearth, selective thinning, and different practices we now have seen an excellent rebound of a lot of native wildlife species right here on this area”.

After an preliminary survey in 2016, they discovered zero Purple Cockaded Woodpeckers in Hitchcock Woods. By means of a partnership with SCDNR, The Longleaf Alliance, and MPJ Wildlife Companions they have been capable of relocate 32 birds from the Francis Marion Nationwide Forest over the past 4 years. This previous 12 months they lastly reached their inhabitants purpose and there’s no longer a must relocate extra birds from the coast.

Mark Pavlosky Jr., a Purple Cockaded Woodpecker biologist for MPJ Wildlife Companions, mentioned, “are numbers are near 45 adults which are right here regularly after which yearly we monitor the breeding success and improve our numbers with juveniles”.

This time of 12 months can get busy maintaining with new chicks. Pavlosky added, “we monitor when eggs are laid, when these eggs hatch, we age them after which come again at day 7 to day 8, take away them from the nest and put coloration bands on their legs”. Banding the birds doesn’t harm them and so they’re returned to the nest as quickly as they’re weighed and have their DNA examined. “These coloration bands give them a person identification so we will monitor their progress over time and the way they transfer throughout the panorama”.

One other essential a part of their mission in Hitchcock Woods is putting in cavities for the birds to nest in. Within the wild, it could possibly take a hen 6 months to a number of years to carve out a nesting website inside a tree however putting in premade cavities into residing bushes offers them prompt entry to nesting websites for years to return. This observe grew to become standard with restoration efforts after Hurricane Hugo hit the Carolina Coast in 1989. Tucker added, “I really feel like we’re in a great place, and once we see the infants, and bobwhite quail, all of the wildlife blissful and wholesome, we all know we’re doing one thing proper”.

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