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Shaw boosts neighboring endangered species population

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Diana M. Cossaboom
  • 20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. --  A black and white speckled Red-cockaded Woodpecker peeks her head out of a cavity carved into a living Longleaf Pine and glances around before roosting for the night.

The mere existence of the endangered fledgling is the outcome of diligence and care provided by the 20th Civil Engineer Squadron Natural and Cultural Resources personnel, who have worked to increase the local population by utilizing the acres of forest at Poinsett Electronic Combat Range, Wedgefield, South Carolina.

The Red-cockaded Woodpecker was labeled as an endangered species in 1973.

"It is a federally endangered species and it is protected by the federal endangered species act," said Julie Hovis, 20th CES endangered species biologist. "Our mission is to restore the population to a sustainable level in a way that is still compatible with the Air Force mission."

By enhancing Shaw's Natural and Cultural Resources program in 2001, the 20th CES personnel not only have seen an increase in the population here, but just 14 years later they can now assist in cultivating neighboring clusters.

Starting with five active tree clusters, housing only 13 adults and five fledglings in 2001, the population has increased to 28 active clusters of 87 adults and 59 fledglings.

An active cluster consists of at least one Red-cockaded Woodpecker living in a tree.

With this success, Shaw's Natural and Cultural Resources personnel had the ability to undertake two translocations of fledglings in fall of 2015, one to Fort Gordon, Georgia and the other to Fort Jackson, S.C.

Fort Gordon received two juvenile female Red-cockaded Woodpeckers to be paired with two males that had no partners. Fort Jackson received four juvenile Red-cockaded Woodpeckers, two males and two females, to assist in increasing their population, said Hovis.

It is extremely important to have the Army and Air Force involved because we are mandated by law to protect and recover the endangered species on federal lands, but it is an actual mission for the Army and Air Force to protect these species and recover them, said Nicole Hawkins, Fort Jackson wildlife biologist.

Shaw's Natural and Cultural Resources personnel have used translocations before, but only by receiving Red-cockaded Woodpeckers or through internal moves.

Shaw has received birds from other, healthier populations throughout the years, and are now at the point where the recovery goal is close and can begin to help other populations nearby, said Hovis.

In order for Shaw's Red-cockaded Woodpeckers to be considered recovered on Poinsett Range, they must reach and sustain 30 active clusters.

The Red-cockaded Woodpeckers excavate their homes in 60-80-year-old Longleaf Pines.

"We are sort of at a standstill until some of the trees on Poinsett grow older, enough to be excavated for cavities," said Hovis.

To keep track of the number of Red-cockaded Woodpeckers on the range, Natural and Cultural Resources personnel trek to the different clusters during late spring to attach color-coded bands onto the legs of the babies. The bands are used to identify them by their birth year.

"We had 56 fledglings last year, and this year I only saw 25 percent of them," said Hovis. "They are either dispersing off the property or they are not surviving."

In order to increase their chance of survival and enhance other Red-cockaded Woodpecker populations, they trans-located them to another property.

"After we catch them in the evening, we place them in special transport boxes," said Hovis. "One bird per box, and (Fort Jackson personnel) drive them back to cavities that are already prepared. During the night, Fort Jackson personnel climb up the trees and put them in that cavity with the screens up and a string attached. They come back at sunrise the next morning, wait until the birds are pecking on the screens, then pull the screens off and make sure they are okay."

The true success of a translocation is determined by whether or not the birds can be found during the next breeding season, said Hovis.

A Red-cockaded Woodpecker's home can range anywhere from 75-300 acres, making Poinsett Electronic Combat Range an ideal area to grow the population.

"The footprint of the target area is fairly small (at Poinsett) and we have plenty of land to recover (the woodpeckers) without affecting the (Shaw AFB) mission," said Ronald June, 20th CES chief of Natural and Cultural Resources.

After 14 years of diligence and devotion, the Red-cockaded Woodpecker population has made leaps and bounds of improvement, almost reaching Shaw's recovery goal to preserve the endangered breed.

As the sun sets and the forest begins to settle for the night, the young Red-cockaded Woodpecker sticks her head out of her new home one more time, eager to explore her new surroundings in the morning.