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

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. 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.  AP Technology and Science