Red-cockaded woodpeckers’ recovery in southeast leads to status change from endangered to threatened

AP Science Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — The red-cockaded woodpecker, an iconic bird in southeastern forests, has recovered enough of its population to be downlisted from an endangered species to a threatened one. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced the status change on Thursday. At one point in the 1970s, the red-cockaded woodpecker population had dipped as low as 1,470 clusters. Today, there are an estimated 7,800 clusters. Red-cockaded woodpeckers are habitat specialists that nest only in mature long-leaf pine forests. Habitat restoration and protection on both public and private lands have helped the species to partially recover. Environmentalists say the bird’s recovery is still fragile.