Are Woodpeckers Endangered?

Which Ones And Why?

By Richard Worden

Woodpeckers appear in cartoons and books but can be rare sightings in real life. Different species of woodpeckers can be found worldwide, but their numbers are impacted by habitat loss. So, are woodpeckers endangered?

Some woodpecker species are endangered, like the Varzea Picules, Speckle Chested Piculets, and Fernandes Flicker woodpeckers. Others, like Imperial woodpeckers and Okinawa woodpeckers, are critically endangered. The main reason for endangered woodpeckers is habitat loss.

The rest of this article considers all the endangered and critically endangered species of woodpeckers. I’ll also include information about the reasons why woodpeckers are endangered, and which woodpeckers are vulnerable. Let’s get started. 

Why Are Woodpeckers Endangered?

Woodpeckers are endangered primarily because of habitat destruction. Most woodpeckers like to make their home in pine and oak trees, and the size of forests with pine and oak trees has rapidly reduced over the last century, making it hard for woodpeckers to survive.

Woodpeckers rely heavily on having access to trees to survive. Here’s what they rely on trees for: 

• Food: As their name suggests, woodpeckers spend a significant amount of time pecking at trees to find insects to eat. Some species of woodpeckers also find nutrition inside tree sap.
• Nesting: Woodpeckers typically make their nests in live or dead trees.
• Protection: Some woodpeckers will hide in tree cavities from predators. They also may take refuge in tree cavities during extreme weather conditions. 

If they face a lack of trees, adult woodpeckers may not be able to find the food they need to survive. They also may be unable to find the space to breed, which may impact their population levels. Habitat destruction, therefore, has a significant impact on woodpeckers’ endangered status. 

Some of the other reasons that woodpeckers are endangered include:

• Predation: Some woodpeckers are vulnerable to predation, especially by species that aren’t native to their habitats. 
• Mining and other industrial activity: Many forests have large mines near them. While the mining doesn’t directly impact forests, the noise and pollution may significantly impact tree health over time.
• Diseases: Woodpeckers can be vulnerable to various diseases, including Avian malaria, the West Nile virus, and Lyme disease. Many of these are transmittable and can impact the whole woodpecker population in a particular area.
• Natural disasters: Like other animals and plants, woodpeckers can suffer when the weather turns too cold or during typhoons and thunderstorms. 
  
  

Which Woodpeckers Are Endangered?

Eight species of woodpeckers are currently endangered, including the Varzea Piculet and the Yellow-faced Flameback. Some critically endangered woodpeckers include the Ivory Billed Woodpecker and the Imperial Woodpecker.

These species, along with the others on the IUCN Red List, are explored further below. 

Note...We would have loved to show you pictures of these endangered woodpeckers, unfortuneatly they were so rare that we simply could not find pictures of them to post!

Varzea Piculet

Status: Endangered but at stable population levels 

The Varzea Piculet is a tiny brown woodpecker native to the Amazon in Brazil. It tends to live in lowland forest, which is vulnerable to deforestation. Several recorded deforestation events in the Amazon have paved the way for roads and farming. 

Because of the continuous deforestation, the Varzea Piculet population reduced. However, parts of the Amazon don’t have protected conservation areas which give these woodpeckers a safe place to live and breed, keeping their population levels stable.

Speckle Chested Piculet 

Status: Endangered 

Speckle Chested Piculets are native to Peru, and as of 2016, 6000-15,000 mature individuals were in the wild. However, their numbers are continuing to decline due to habitat loss. 

Like many other bird and animal species in Peru, Speckle Chested Piculets suffer because of Peru's continued deforestation. Around 1,100 square miles (2849 sq km) of Peru’s forests are cut down annually for illegal farming, road construction, or timber. 

White-Rumped Woodpecker

Status: Endangered 

White-rumped woodpeckers are native to Western Java, Indonesia. There are between 1000- 2499 mature individuals in the wild, and while their population is healthier than other woodpeckers on the list, it continues to decline. 

Some of the reasons their population is declining include:

• The forests they habitat are being cleared for residential and commercial developments. 
• Areas they habitat are near mining areas which disrupt the forest. 
• Natural disasters like floods and fire risk threaten their habitat.
  
  

Fernanda’s Flicker

Status: Endangered

Fernanda’s Flicker woodpeckers are found in Cuba. While they used to be spread across Cuba, they can now only be found near the Zapata Swamp.They tend to live and nest in both live and dead palm trees.

They have been threatened by the invasion and predation of non-native species, hunting and trapping, and natural disasters. 

Here's a fascinating YouTube video of
7 amazing woodpeckers that thankfully aren't extinct!

Yellow-Faced Flameback

Status: Endangered 

Yellow-faced flame backs are native to the Negros and Panay island, and there are currently approximately 250-999 mature individuals in the wild. They prefer the low hill and foothill forests and have lost a significant amount of habitat due to deforestation. 

The biggest threat to these woodpeckers is habitat loss due to trees being cut down for timber. While there has been an identified conservation area to protect Yellow-faced flame backs, their population levels continue to decline. 

Okinawa Woodpecker

Status: Critically Endangered 

Okinawa Woodpeckers are native to Japan and are critically endangered. In 2018, only 50-249 mature individuals were in the wild. 

The IUCN identified several reasons that Okinawa Woodpeckers are critically endangered and their population levels continue declining. This woodpecker has a limited range - it only lives on Japan’s Okinawa Island, making it vulnerable to all threats to the island. 

Several forests on the island have been cleared to build military training bases, and six military helipads impact the remaining forests. Okinawa woodpeckers are also vulnerable to natural threats like typhoons and being preyed on by feral cats and mongooses. 

Ivory Billed Woodpecker

Status: Critically Endangered/Extinct 

In late 2021, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) declared that the Ivory Billed Woodpecker was extinct. However, in 2022, there were a few sightings of the woodpecker in southern US forests. Therefore, they’re considered critically endangered. 

The main threat to ivory-billed woodpeckers is habitat loss, as they depend on pine and cypress trees for nesting. These trees are commonly (and often illegally) farmed for timber.

Imperial Woodpecker

Status: Critically Endangered/Extinct 

In 2016, the Imperial Woodpecker was listed as critically endangered/possibly extinct. Only 1-49 individuals were in the wild at the last record. They’re endemic to Mexico and prefer living and nesting in pine and oak trees, which are commonly chopped down for timber.

Imperial Woodpeckers have suffered because of deforestation and because oak and pine trees in the regions they inhabit suffered natural deaths. Some researchers suggest that many imperial woodpeckers died because they were poisoned. According to this theory, timber miners put chemical poison on timber trees to kill woodpeckers that were foraging from the trees.

Which Woodpeckers Are Vulnerable?

Some of the woodpeckers on the IUCN vulnerable list include: 

• Helmeted Woodpeckers
• Sulu Pygmy Woodpeckers
• Andaman Woodpeckers
• Atlantic Black-breasted Woodpeckers 

Like the other woodpeckers on this list, these species are vulnerable to habitat loss. 

To prevent these woodpeckers from reaching endangered status, you can support campaigns for creating more conversation sites for woodpeckers to live and breed. You can also ensure you buy ethically sourced wood products. 

Are Woodpeckers Endangered?...Conclusion

Not all woodpecker species are endangered, but the IUCN identifies at least eight endangered species. Many of these woodpeckers have extremely low mature adult populations in the wild. The best way to protect these species is to advocate for habitat conservation and breeding programs at a political level. 

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Hi! I'm Richard Worden, the author and founder of We Know Birds.

Over 20 years ago I developed a keen interest in birds and birdwatching, and it has been my passion ever since. I am committed to spreading useful knowledge about birds to others so we might all enjoy them to the fullest.

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