Borrowed Homes and New Horizons: Artificial Cavities and Translocation for the Red-cockaded Woodpecker
A faint scrape carries through the longleaf forest as a biologist steadies a drill against living pine. Chips of bark fall to the forest floor, revealing the careful work of crafting a home where none existed. For the Red-cockaded Woodpecker, whose survival depends on mature longleaf pine, these artificial cavities have become an essential lifeline. When paired with translocation, the delicate practice of moving young birds to new territories, these tools buy precious time while ecosystems recover. As we’ve been learning all year, RCWs rely on cavities in living…
Where Fire and Forest Meet: Bringing Longleaf Pine Back for RCWs
Smoke curls skyward as a line of fire creeps steadily through the forest floor. To the untrained eye it…
Why She Leaves: The Story of Female RCW Dispersal
To stay or not to stay? That is the question. At least, if you’re a male Red-cockaded Woodpecker fledgling.…
Who Stays and Who Strays: The Social Choices of Male Red-Cockaded Woodpeckers – June 2025 BOTY Blog
Nature offers nearly endless varieties of adaptations that help species survive in their particular…