A Success Story

Standing in an oak savanna on a cool sunny afternoon this week I was watching one of my favorite birds hopping around on a dead oak snag. You can’t miss him as the sun reflects off of his bright white breast and vibrant red head. His head is a striking contrast to his black back with a white band across his wings.


This medium sized bird is a rare site across much of Minnesota and the overall population has been on a slow decline since 1966. We have a small population near Camp Ripley and a few scattered birds in the counties west of Minneapolis.


He sets out in flight to the next dead oak in a flight pattern that can be described as loping. A couple of quick wing beats followed by an arching glide and then, ending with several quick wing beats. He reaches into his cache in the fork of a tree and removes an acorn from behind some pieces of bark he placed to hide his stored food.  He hops on over to a limb and then spends the next twenty minutes breaking it apart and eating his meal.


I am watching a red-headed woodpecker winter in his chosen home range. Owned by the University of Minnesota, this oak savanna is in Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve located in central Minnesota. The open habitat of standing live and dead oaks is created and maintained through a prescribed burn program.  So often we tend to cut down dead trees for fire wood or remove them as unsightly. Not in Cedar Creek. The red-headed woodpeckers need both live and dead standing trees. This savanna is full of acorns from the oaks, grasshoppers, beetles and other grassland insects on the ground, and plenty of dragonflies from nearby Fish Lake. This diverse habitat also includes many plants, seeds and berries.  Cedar Creek’s savanna areas provide the red-headed woodpeckers with food, cover and roosting areas.


When you give a species the habitat that it requires, you can witness amazing results. Three years ago the wintering population was only 3 birds. Last winter we had 33 birds stay over. This year the wintering population is approximately 56 red-headed woodpeckers. According to a dedicated scientist, this represents 75% of all the wintering population in Minnesota. Most of these birds stay on approximately 220 acres. It’s unbelievable when you realize ¾ of the state’s population of these birds winter on only 220 acres.  With a very small territory which they defend from many species, he is quite happy and thriving.


These fascinating birds are currently being observed and studied by researchers and scientists from the University of Minnesota and other dedicated birding organizations. This is a rare opportunity to both learn about and educate others about a modern day success story.


Enjoy our woodland treasures, and take care of our natural resources.


Jim