• Subfamily Picinae- Woodpeckers

Sphyrapicus varius- Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

View range map of Yellow-bellied Sapsucker here.

The Yellow-bellied Sapsucker is a keystone species. (One whose existence is vital for the maintenance of a community.) The sap wells dug by this species are exploited by other bird species. The Ruby-throated Hummingbird builds its nest adjacent to Yellow-bellied Sapsucker wells and times its migration to coincide with that of the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. The Yellow-bellied Sapsucker drills a series of shallow holes in the bark of a tree and licks up the sap that flows. It maintains these well daily to keep the sap flowing. It also gleans for insects and feeds on fruit. Cavities excavated by Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers are used by other birds that do not excavate cavities of their own. The Yellow-bellied Sapsucker breeds in young forests, especially in birch and aspen trees. The male arrives on the breeding ground first and selects the nesting site. The female lays 5-6 white eggs. Both birds incubate the eggs for 12-13 days, and feed the chicks insects until they fledge at about 25 days of age. Historically the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker was shot in large numbers because it was considered a threat to orchards. Now this species is protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Populations of Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers are stable, this species having benefited from deforestation which created open areas and forest edges which it prefers. Habitat loss in Central America where the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker winters is a concern.

Campephilus prinipalis- Ivory-billed Woodpecker

I'm Endangered

View historical range map of Ivory-billed Woodpecker here.

The Ivory-billed Woodpecker is the largest woodpecker in the United States, and the third largest woodpecker in the world. There were no documented sightings of this species for 60 years, and some feared the Ivory-billed Woodpecker was extinct. The rediscovery of this iconic species in Arkansas in 2004 raised hopes that it may still be saved. The Ivory-billed Woodpecker is a beautiful big, (length 19.5") black and white bird. The males have a distinctive red crest. Like other Campephilus woodpeckers, the Ivory-bill produces a "double rap" by striking a tree. Listen to the "kent" call and other vocalizations of the Ivory-billed woodpecker. The Ivory-billed Woodpecker was once resident throughout the virgin hardwood forests, swamps, and bottomlands of the southeastern United States. Those in Cuba were once considered to be a separate species. There have been no confirmed sightings of the Ivory-billed woodpecker in Cuba since 1986. The Ivory-billed Woodpecker feeds on beetle larvae found beneath the bark of recently dead trees. It uses its large ivory colored bill as a chisel, removing strips of bark from the tree, to reveal the beetles, and also splintering fallen trees and logs to find wood-boring insects. Ivory-billed woodpecker pairs excavate a nest cavity in partially dead or dying trees, along the edges of dense swamps. The female lays 2-3 white eggs which both parents incubate for 20 days. Both parents care for the chicks. The chicks fledge after 35 days and the parents continue to care for them for about a year. The chicks cannot feed themselves adequately until the chisel-like bill is fully developed. Ornithologists speculate that the Ivory-billed Woodpecker may have a life span of 20-30 years. Much of our knowledge of this species comes from the work of Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology founder Professor Arthur Allen, Professor Peter Paul Kellogg, and graduate student James T. Tanner, who studied the birds in the Singer Tract in Louisiana during the 1930s. View film from this expedition. James T. Tanner spent two years from 1937 to 1939 studying the birds in the Singer Tract which was the largest remaining piece of primeval forest in the south. He searched for them in other locations across the southern United States, but found no other Ivory-bills. Tanner's work, which was sponsored by the National Audubon Society, was published as a book; "The Ivory-billed Woodpecker". Historically, the Ivory-billed Woodpecker was hunted by Native Americans, who traded in their bills, which were believed to be a totem of successful warfare. Early naturalists reported that the Ivory-billed Woodpecker was often called "The Lord-God Bird" by local people, because the sight of this amazing bird caused people to exclaim, "Lord God what a bird!" During the mid 1800s to early 1900s Ivory-billed Woodpeckers were much desired by collectors and were shot for specimens in large numbers. The rarer they became the more desirable and the higher their economic value to collectors. In addition, egg collectors destroyed nests and shot adult birds. The greatest cause of the decline of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker was the logging of the bottomland hardwood and virgin cypress forests of the south eastern United States, which were mostly destroyed by the 1950s. Even the Singer Tract, which the National Audubon Society campaigned to protect as a refuge, was clear cut during World War Two. Searches for the Ivory-billed Woodpecker continued as new sightings were reported in Louisiana, Florida and Texas. In the 1950s John V Dennis obtained the last scientifically accepted photographs of an Ivory-bill in Cuba. His sightings in Texas led to the establishment of the Big Thicket National Preserve in 1974. Subsequent sightings have not been widely accepted by the ornithological community because of the lack of photographic evidence of this elusive bird. In 2004, there was a series of seven sightings in the Cache River National Wildlife Refuge in Arkansas, followed by video and audio evidence. In 2005 Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology announced the rediscovery of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker in the "Big Woods" of Arkansas and launched a series of annual expeditions to find and document the species. To date no further photographic evidence has been obtained, however some evidence of bark removal by feeding Ivory-bills and some further audio evidence has been obtained. The difficulty of searching in the inaccessible swamps has made locating the birds difficult, and there is still much suitable habitat to be explored. The members of the Big Woods Conservation Partnership remain committed to the conservation of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker and the preservation of the habitat on which it and many other species depend. The Ivory-billed Woodpecker is an icon of the destruction of the natural world, and people around the world were captivated by the announcement that it may not be too late to save this species. A culture of the Ivory-bill developed centered around Brinkley, Arkansas, with everything from work by local artists, to merchandise to a song. As a nation we need the Ivory-bill to live on, so that we might save it and so find redemption. However the search for the Ivory-billed Woodpecker is founded in science not wishful thinking. We must not give up on this amazing bird. To learn how you can help this species visit these websites: Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology US Fish and Wildlife Service Big Woods Conservation Partnership Ivory-billed Woodpecker