The Red-cockaded Woodpecker is a habitat specialist of the Southeast’s once-vast longleaf pine stands. Its habitat is made up of old pines with very little understory was shaped by the region’s frequent lightning fires. The species declined drastically as its original habitat was cut down, and the species was listed as Endangered in 1970.

This elusive bird was nearly forced to the brink of extinction and was extirpated, or locally extinct, at the Disney Wilderness Preserve for decades. Over a 20-year period of careful restoration and management of the preserve's longleaf pine habitat it appears able to once again support the species. Once the habitat was able to support a population of these woodpeckers, the folks at The Nature conservancy's Disney Wilderness Preserve began their efforts to reestablish a sustainable breeding population.

Success for the reintroduction of the red-cockaded woodpecker is close at hand with 10 breeding pairs now calling the preserve's pine trees home. Additional breeding pairs are being transported to the preserve each year as well. As part of the translocation program, RCWs are carefully captured from a healthy population following strict federal guidelines. They are then promptly transferred to their new location, all the while receiving extra-special care and handling.

Longleaf pine trees in the destination area are pre-prepared with man-made cavities and biologists climb the trees to load the birds into the cavity at night. The biologists then cover the entrance to cavity with a cloth and drawstring that reaches down to the forest floor. When the Sun rises the following morning all of the cavities are simultaneously opened allowing the birds to immediately see potential mates.

More than just a fascinating bird, this woodpecker is a keystone species that provides a service to its ecosytem. A total of 27 other species have been documented using the RCW cavities including lizards, frogs, snakes, squirrels and other birds.

So get out and explore the natural beauty of The Nature Conservancy's Disney Wilderness Preserve and be sure to keep an eye out for this elusive woodpecker!

For more information about preserve and everything there is to do there, just visit the Disney Wilderness Preserve website.

Address: 2700 Scrub Jay Trail, Poinciana, FL 34759

Be sure to catch every Out There and Average Angler segment by tuning in near the :23s and :53s each hour during 'Your Sports' airing daily with new episodes starting at 6 nightly, exclusively on Spectrum Sports!