Potential Return of Rare Bird Missing for 30 Years

It has been over thirty years since a red-cockaded woodpecker was last seen in Tennessee, a time when Bill Clinton was in his first presidential term, Tom Hanks starred in Forrest Gump, and the TV show Friends was about to premiere. Now, state and federal agencies are working on an ambitious plan to reintroduce this endangered bird, aiming to expand its population and range in the Southeast.

David Hanni, a bird conservation biologist with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, described the project as a rare opportunity. Few people get to be part of bringing a species back to their state, he said.

The strategy involves restoring suitable habitat across approximately 1,200 acres of the Savage Gulf State Natural Area, two hours southeast of Nashville. The robin-sized bird, mostly black and white with a small red streak on the males head, prefers nesting in mature pine forests. Officials hope to bring a few of the 7,800 existing bird clusters across 11 states back to Tennessee by 2028.

The decline of the red-cockaded woodpecker in Tennessee mirrors its broader struggles throughout the South in the 20th century. Habitat loss from old-growth pine deforestation and wildfire suppression pushed the species to the federal endangered list in 1970. Although numbers have rebounded from the low of roughly 1,470 clusters in the 1970s, populations remain sparse and scattered across military bases, national forests, and protected lands. The bird lives in small family groups and faces ongoing threats from development and climate change.

Tennessee officials, alongside federal agencies, aim to establish the state as the 12th safe location for the species. Governor Bill Lee described the initiative as a triumph of collaboration involving decades of planning, inter-agency cooperation, and land acquisition. Hanni emphasized the effort required to manage the habitat but noted its broader benefits to other species, including Northern Pine Snakes, Monarch Butterflies, Northern Bobwhite quails, and Bachmans Sparrows.

The idea to reintroduce the woodpeckers coincided with restoration efforts for the threatened white fringeless orchid in the same area. Officials realized the land could also serve as ideal habitat for the woodpecker. The presence of mature shortleaf pines aged 80100 years was crucial in this assessment.

The inland location offers protection from coastal hazards like hurricanes and saltwater intrusion. Enthusiasm among foresters, biologists, botanists, and state officials has been high despite the considerable time, funding, and effort needed to prepare the habitat.

Initial restoration across 500 acres has included removing midstory trees to allow more sunlight and conducting prescribed burns to promote biodiversity. Long-term management will require ongoing burns, invasive species control, and support for nesting and breeding, including installing artificial nest boxes and transporting about 10 breeding pairs of birds.

Officials hope the project will eventually allow red-cockaded woodpeckers to thrive across Tennessee and beyond, potentially reconnecting populations in nearby states and creating viable habitat corridors. Hanni expressed optimism that this small forest project marks the start of a larger, promising effort to restore the species across the Southeast. This is definitely the beginning, he said.

Author: Sophia Brooks