Northern Bobwhite Bachman’s Sparrow Colinus virginianus Aimophila aestivalis Photo by Joanna Ennis © Tall Timbers Photo by Ross McGregor Tall Timbers’ mission is to Tall Timbers’ mission is to foster exemplary land stewardship foster exemplary land stewardship through research, conservation, through research, conservation, and education. and education. Red-headed Woodpecker Red-cockaded Woodpecker Melanerpes erythrocephalus Picoides borealis Photo by Doug Beach © Photo by Pierson Hill © Tall Timbers’ mission is to Tall Timbers’ mission is to foster exemplary land stewardship foster exemplary land stewardship through research, conservation, through research, conservation, and education. and education. Northern Bobwhite Bachman’s Sparrow Hunting bobwhite quail became very popular in the Red Hills The Bachman’s sparrow is one of the most fire-dependent birds region in the late 1800s. When quail populations began to in North America. In the Red Hills region, preferred habitat decline into the 1920s, research by noted naturalist Herbert conditions are available for a short window of time that begins Stoddard revealed the decline was primarily due to efforts to two months after a prescribed fire and persists for another eliminate the use of fire for forest and agricultural management. 14-16 months. Singing males may defend territories in areas It turned out that frequent fire was a critical part of creating the that haven’t been burned within the past 18 months, but ground habitat quail need. cover conditions are generally too thick at that point for nesting. Bobwhite quail forage on the ground for a wide variety of Females construct a domed grass nest on the ground in a insects, grass seeds, and plants. Their preferred habitat includes shallow depression they scrape out. They eat insects, such as ground cover with an even mix of grasses, leafy non-woody grasshoppers and caterpillars, and seeds from the abundant plants, and woody plants, with some area of bare ground to help grasses in their preferred open pine forest habitat. them locate their food. The significance loss of open longleaf pine forests to Quail hunting continues to be a popular activity in the Red Hills development and the exclusion of fire have reduced the and the hunting community has lead the way to help research, Bachman’s sparrow population. However, efforts to expand the manage and protect land for bobwhite quail and the many other use of prescribed fire and replant longleaf pine forests benefit local species who share very similar habitat needs. this unique singing sparrow. KINGDOM | Animalia DIET | Omnivore KINGDOM | Animalia DIET | Omnivore PHYLUM | Chordata SIZE (L) | 25 cm PHYLUM | Chordata SIZE (L) | 25 cm CLASS | Aves STATUS | No state or federal CLASS | Aves STATUS | No state or federal ORDER | Galliformes listing ORDER | Passeriformes listing, but rare FAMILY | Odontophoridae FAMILY | Passerellidae GENUS | Colinus GENUS | Aimophila Red-headed Woodpecker Red-cockaded Woodpecker The red-headed woodpecker is very recognizable with its bright Red-cockaded woodpeckers are an icon of the mature pine red head and bold black and white body pattern. Its preferred forests that make the Red Hills region famous, and the region habitat is lowland forests with dead trees for nesting and dead supports the largest population of this threatened woodpecker limbs for roosting and foraging from. Red-headed woodpeckers found on private lands. These are the only woodpecker in North are very good hunters, collecting a significant portion of their America to excavate their living quarters exclusively in mature, diet by launching from branches to catch flying insects. They living pines. They select trees that are at least 80-100 years old also eat fruit, acorns, and other seeds. and the process of chiseling out a new cavity can take months Red-headed woodpecker’s stronger association with lowland or years. Given the lengthy process, young birds depended on forests means they are less dependent on the frequent the cavities provided by their parents for shelter from predators prescribed fires necessary to maintain upland pine forests. and the weather. Installation of artificial nest cavities has been When utilizing open pine forests they tend to prefer a thicker an important management tool in helping to increase their woody and herbaceous ground cover with an open midstory for populations. insect hunting under the tree canopy. They can also be found Red-cockaded woodpeckers eat spiders, ants, cockroaches, using areas such as parks, gardens, and wooded urban areas. centipedes, and larval insects, in addition to a variety of Keeping standing dead trees in safe areas away from buildings fruit from woody trees and shrubs. They depend on regular and roads is an important part of maintaining habitat for this prescribed fire to maintain pine forests with open to moderately species. thick groundcover including woody plants that fires keep below the level of the nest cavity. KINGDOM | Animalia DIET | Omnivore KINGDOM | Animalia DIET | Omnivore PHYLUM | Chordata SIZE (L) | 19-23 cm PHYLUM | Chordata SIZE (L) | 20-23 cm CLASS | Aves STATUS | No state or federal CLASS | Aves STATUS | Federally Listed ORDER | Piciformes listing ORDER | Piciformes Endangered Species FAMILY | Picidae FAMILY | Picidae GENUS | Melanerpes GENUS | Picoides Sherman’s Fox Squirrel Florida Black Bear Sciurus niger shermani Ursus americanus floridanus Photo by Patick Delaney CC BY-ND 2.0 Photo courtesy Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Public Domain Tall Timbers’ mission is to Tall Timbers’ mission is to foster exemplary land stewardship foster exemplary land stewardship through research, conservation, through research, conservation, and education. and education. Gopher Tortoise Florida Pine Snake Gopherus polyphemus Pituophis melanoleucus mugitus Photo by Pierson Hill © Photo by Pierson Hill © Tall Timbers’ mission is to Tall Timbers’ mission is to foster exemplary land stewardship foster exemplary land stewardship through research, conservation, through research, conservation, and education. and education. Sherman’s Fox Squirrel Florida Black Bear The Sherman’s fox squirrel is one really big squirrel. They are The Florida black bear is a subspecies of the American black known for their ability to leap a great distance and for their wide bear. This subspecies historical range includes Florida and variations in color and pattern. southern parts of Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi. The Sherman’s fox squirrels live in pine forests with wide spaced subspecies was listed as threatened in Florida, but was removed trees and open to moderate ground cover with a mix of woody from this list in 2012 due to continued growth in the population. species that produce acorns, and grasses for cover from Florida black bears eat mostly fruits, nuts, and berries with a predators. Unlike the more common grey squirrel, the fox small portion of insects, small mammals, and carrion. Bears squirrel spends a considerable amount of time foraging for food prefer a thicker understory with woody plants that produce the on the forest floor. Fire is important for keeping the trees widely fruits, nuts, and berries that make up most of their diet. spaced so there is abundant sun light to help produce more Expanding human development is moving in on areas that pine seeds and acorns. However, too high of a fire frequency were once remote rural lands. This has resulted in increased can reduce the amount of acorns on the forest floor. While encounters between bears and humans. Smart growth policies fox squirrels primarily eat seeds, nuts, and fungi, they will that help keep new development within and close to already occasionally eat eggs and insects. urbanized areas can help protect habitat for bears and other The main threat to the Sherman’s fox squirrel population is loss species. In rural areas, help protect bears by securing food of open longleaf pine forests to development and the exclusion sources like your garbage, pet food, and bird seed. of fire. KINGDOM | Animalia DIET | Omnivore KINGDOM | Animalia DIET | Omnivore PHYLUM | Chordata SIZE (L) | up to 200 cm PHYLUM | Chordata SIZE (L) | 25 cm CLASS | Mammalia STATUS | Removed from CLASS | Mammalia STATUS | No state or federal ORDER | Carnivora Florida Threatened designation ORDER | Rodentia listing, but rare FAMILY | Ursidae in 2012, population growing FAMILY | Sciuridae GENUS | Ursus GENUS | Sciurus niger Gopher Tortoise Florida Pine Snake The gopher tortoise is considered a keystone species of the Florida pine snakes can get big, up to seven feet long. Smaller longleaf pine ecosystem because it digs long underground individuals can look like the more common grey rat snake (also burrows that are then shared by over 350 other species. called oak snake), however pine snakes have a notable change in When you live in a forest with frequent fires, it’s great to have their pattern, with markings like a rat snake on the back half and underground areas to stay while the fire passes by. The gopher a more even mottled pattern from the head to mid-body. tortoise has back feet that look like elephant’s feet and flat front Florida pine snakes eat small mammals (moles, rabbits, mice, legs like shovels for digging. They can live up to 60 years. rats, squirrels, and pocket gophers), other reptiles and eggs. Gopher tortoises eat grasses, leaves, fruits, and seeds. They need The snakes prefer pine forests with lower canopy cover to areas with low tree canopy coverage to provide lots of sun to provide sunlight for temperature regulation and to support the regulate their body temperature and to grow the grasses that plant communities that support their prey. Prescribed fire is an are a big part of their diet. Frequent prescribed fire is important important part of managing habitat to support this species. to suppress the growth of woody plant species that make it difficult for the tortoise to move around above ground, grow KINGDOM | Animalia DIET | Carnivore tough roots and make digging hard, and eventually grow to shade PHYLUM | Chordata SIZE (L) | up to 210 cm out the grasses that are an important part of the tortoise diet.