Report of the American Ornithologists ' Union Committee for the Conservation of the Red-cockaded Woodpecker

was to review the status of the federally endangered Red-cockaded Woodpecker (Picoides borealis), to evaluate the conservation and management practices impinging on the welfare of this species, and to further the A.O.U.'s interest in providing scientific advice and suggestions to managers of threatened and endangered species of birds. SUMMARY The Red-cockaded Woodpecker (Picoides borealis) in the southeastern United States has become endan-gered as a result of dependence on mature, open pine woodlands. This habitat, maintained in the past only by recurring fire, has become very scarce because of both the cutting of the pine forests for timber and the exclusion of fire. Moreover, modern timber man-agement practices focus almost exclusively on the production and harvest of young trees on private land and middle-aged trees on public land. Although Red