Red-cockaded Woodpecker (Picoides borealis)

Greg Lasley Nature Photography
All of the images are copyright-protected and have been digitally watermarked and
their display here in no way implies consent for any form of distribution or reuse.
Refer to my image use page if you are interested in purchasing rights. Thanks!

Below will be a shot of typical Red-cockaded Woodpecker habitat as well as a sign which is commonly seen on forest service lands occupied by this bird. After those shots will be a couple of more shots of a Red-cockaded Woodpecker which were taken in Venus, Okeechobee Co., Florida, in April, 1996, with a Canon T-90 and 400mm F/5.6 lens and 1.4X extender on Fuji Sensia.

The Red-cockaded Woodpecker (Picoides borealis) is an endangered species of the southeastern U.S. In fact, this species is endemic to that area having never been sighted outside of the region. The species is a habitat specialist, requiring mature growth of pine forest with a grassland component underneath. In fact, it's habitat requirements are closely associated with that of the Bachman's Sparrow, so the two species often live side by side. The birds shown here were digital captures in Jasper Co., Texas in May, 2003, with a Canon EOS 10D and 600 mm f/4L IS lens and 1.4 X extender. The nest cavity shown is a man-made insert which researchers have used with great success to help the species increase its numbers. Note how the sap from the tree has virtually covered the nest box insert. The shot at left shows an adult bird perched on the side of a tree near the nest cavity.

In June 2003, I returned to this same nest cavity and watched as the adults fed a young male bird. See immediately below a shot of the youngster peering from the cavity as well as a shot of an adult looking out of the cavity. On the lower left is a shot of an adult perched at the entrance to the cavity and another shot of an adult perched on a pine tree trunk. Note that most of these adult birds are banded. Researchers are studying this species intently and most adult individuals that are seen are banded.

Scroll down for lots more images!

The next 11 images of Red-cockaded Woodpecker were taken in the Angelina National Forest in Jasper Co., Texas, in March, 2008, with a Canon EOS 1D Mark III and EF 600mm F/4 L IS lens and 2X extender. There are a couple of shots of the bird preening and one of it foraging under a piece of pine bark. I was standing near a nest tree while an adult was investigating the man-made nest cavity. A un-banded bird worked its way down a pine tree near me and I was able to get some very nice images, certainly the best I have ever taken of this species, which can be very difficult to photograph. I felt very lucky indeed to have had this experience.