Lewis's Woodpecker
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COSEWIC Assessment and Status Report on the Lewis’s Woodpecker Melanerpes lewis in Canada SPECIAL CONCERN 2001 COSEWIC COSEPAC COMMITTEE ON THE STATUS OF COMITÉ SUR LA SITUATION DES ENDANGERED WILDLIFE IN ESPÈCES EN PÉRIL CANADA AU CANADA COSEWIC status reports are working documents used in assigning the status of wildlife species suspected of being at risk. This report may be cited as follows: Please note: Persons wishing to cite data in the report should refer to the report (and cite the author(s)); persons wishing to cite the COSEWIC status will refer to the assessment (and cite COSEWIC). A production note will be provided if additional information on the status report history is required. COSEWIC 2001. COSEWIC assessment and status report on the Lewis’s woodpecker Melanerpes lewis in Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. Ottawa. vi + 18 pp. (www.sararegistry.gc.ca/status/status_e.cfm) Velland, M. and V. Connolly. 1999. COSEWIC status report on the Lewis’s woodpecker Melanepes lewis in Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. Ottawa. 1-18 pp. Please note the status recommended in the Section "Evaluation and Recommended Status" of the report may differ from the latest status assigned to the species by COSEWIC. For additional copies contact: COSEWIC Secretariat c/o Canadian Wildlife Service Environment Canada Ottawa, ON K1A 0H3 Tel.: (819) 997-4991 / (819) 953-3215 Fax: (819) 994-3684 E-mail: COSEWIC/[email protected] http://www.cosewic.gc.ca Ếgalement disponible en français sous le titre Évaluation et Rapport de situation du COSEPAC sur la situation du pic de Lewis (Melanerpes lewis) au Canada. Cover illustration: Lewis’s Woodpecker — J. Crosby, The Birds of Canada, by W. Earl Godfrey, Canadian Museu of Nature, Ottawa, ON. ©Minister of Public Works and Government Services Canada 2003 Catalogue No. CW69-14-405-2004E-PDF ISBN 0-662-38278-1 HTML: CW69-14/405-2004E-HTML 0-662-38279-X COSEWIC Assessment Summary Assessment summary — November 2001 Common name Lewis’s Woodpecker Scientific name Melanerpes lewis Status Special Concern Reason for designation Population is relatively small and part of the Canadian range has been lost. Required breeding habitat – large trees in open habitats – is under pressure from urban and agricultural developments. Occurrence British Columbia Status history Designated Special Concern in April 1999. Status reexamined and confirmed in November 2001. Last assessment based on an existing status report. iii COSEWIC Executive Summary from the 1999 Status Report Lewis’s Woodpecker Melanerpes lewis Description Lewis’s Woodpecker (Melanerpes lewis) is a medium-sized (26-28 cm) woodpecker with a greenish black head, back, wings, and tail, and a distinctive pinkish red belly. It has a dark red face patch and prominent silvery gray collar and upper breast. The plumage coloration of Lewis’s Woodpecker distinguishes it from other woodpeckers. Sexes are similarly colored with males usually slightly larger than females. Juveniles are distinct from adults, being overall black and more brownish- black dorsally, generally lacking the extensive gray, red, and pink coloration of adults. In both adults and juveniles, the legs and feet are gray, the bill is black, and the iris is dark. Distribution Lewis’s Woodpecker occurs only in western North America, where it breeds from British Columbia in the north, south to California and Arizona, and east to Colorado. Throughout its range its distribution is sparse, with populations concentrated in dispersed areas of suitable habitat. Large dead or dying trees are required for nesting, and open areas with abundant insects are preferred feeding areas. Breeding birds in Canada migrate south for the winter, except for a small number in the Okanagan Valley. Population size and trends While there are no estimates of the global population size for the species, there are probably at least 600 breeding pairs in British Columbia each year. Over the past century, both the global and Canadian populations have declined, primarily due to a loss of suitable habitat. Breeding populations on Vancouver Island and in the lower Fraser River Valley were extirpated in the 1960’s. iv Habitat The most common breeding habitats of Lewis’s Woodpecker are open, mature ponderosa pine forests, and riparian black cottonwoods stands. Essential habitat features are old trees that have decayed or died (for breeding), and open areas (for feeding). Suitable breeding habitat in Canada is restricted to lower mountain slopes and valley bottoms in southern interior British Columbia. General biology Lewis’s Woodpeckers tend to form long-term or permanent mating pairs, and return to the same nesting sites year after year. Compared to most woodpeckers, the species has a large clutch size, at 5-9 eggs. Lewis’s Woodpeckers generally breed as solitary pairs, but the species is also known to nest in loose colonies in some regions As an opportunistic feeder, Lewis’s Woodpecker feeds on a wide variety of insects, fruits and nuts depending on local availability. In remote areas, the birds tend to be shy and quite sensitive to human activity, whereas in urban or suburban areas, individuals may become quite habituated to human activity. One pair even nested in a power pole in a Penticton parking lot! Limiting factors Widespread clearing of ponderosa pine forests is likely responsible for much of the population decline in this century. Increasing human development in British Columbia continues to result in the loss of critical habitat for the species. Fire suppression in ponderosa pine forests is common practice in British Columbia, and results in the development of dense stands which are entirely unsuitable for Lewis’s Woodpecker. Management of these forests will be pivotal in deciding the future fate of Lewis’s Woodpecker in Canada. Protection Lewis’s Woodpecker is physically protected under the Migratory Birds Convention Act of 1994 in the U.S.A. and Canada, and under the British Columbia Wildlife Act of 1982 in British Columbia. However, the future health of the Canadian population depends greatly on protecting its habitat as well. Although recent forest practice guidelines in British Columbia have acknowledged the need to conserve Lewis’s Woodpecker habitat, these are not actually resulting in the preservation of many nesting sites. v COSEWIC MANDATE The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) determines the national status of wild species, subspecies, varieties, and nationally significant populations that are considered to be at risk in Canada. Designations are made on all native species for the following taxonomic groups: mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, lepidopterans, molluscs, vascular plants, lichens, and mosses. COSEWIC MEMBERSHIP COSEWIC comprises representatives from each provincial and territorial government wildlife agency, four federal agencies (Canadian Wildlife Service, Parks Canada Agency, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, and the Federal Biosystematic Partnership), three nonjurisdictional members and the co-chairs of the species specialist groups. The committee meets to consider status reports on candidate species. DEFINITIONS Species Any indigenous species, subspecies, variety, or geographically defined population of wild fauna and flora. Extinct (X) A species that no longer exists. Extirpated (XT) A species no longer existing in the wild in Canada, but occurring elsewhere. Endangered (E) A species facing imminent extirpation or extinction. Threatened (T) A species likely to become endangered if limiting factors are not reversed. Special Concern (SC)* A species of special concern because of characteristics that make it particularly sensitive to human activities or natural events. Not at Risk (NAR)** A species that has been evaluated and found to be not at risk. Data Deficient (DD)*** A species for which there is insufficient scientific information to support status designation. * Formerly described as “Vulnerable” from 1990 to 1999, or “Rare” prior to 1990. ** Formerly described as “Not In Any Category”, or “No Designation Required.” *** Formerly described as “Indeterminate” from 1994 to 1999 or “ISIBD” (insufficient scientific information on which to base a designation) prior to 1994. The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) was created in 1977 as a result of a recommendation at the Federal-Provincial Wildlife Conference held in 1976. It arose from the need for a single, official, scientifically sound, national listing of wildlife species at risk. In 1978, COSEWIC designated its first species and produced its first list of Canadian species at risk. Species designated at meetings of the full committee are added to the list. Environment Environnement Canada Canada Canada Canadian Wildlife Service canadien Service de la faune The Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment Canada, provides full administrative and financial support to the COSEWIC Secretariat. vi COSEWIC Status Report on the Lewis’s Woodpecker Melanerpes lewis in Canada Mark Vellend Véronique Connolly 1999 TABLE OF CONTENTS SPECIES INFORMATION............................................................................................... 3 Distribution................................................................................................................... 3 PROTECTION................................................................................................................. 5 POPULATION SIZE AND TRENDS ...............................................................................