Threatened: California’s Woodpeckers and Their Habitats, with Steve Shunk

Join us Wednesday, September 21 for our monthly program. 6:30: Social and 7:00 Program begins.

Woodpeckers have always captured our attention.  Their unique anatomy and behavior sets them apart.  But like so many species, the path ahead is uncertain.

The official California bird list includes 17 woodpecker species, 15 of which breed in the state—more than any other state or province in North America. However, 2 species rank as endangered by California Fish and Game (Gila Woodpecker and Gilded Flicker); and at least 10 species are listed at some level of conservation concern by Partners-in-Flight.

As primary excavators, all woodpeckers play a keystone ecological role within their respective ranges. And, if we are concerned about woodpeckers, what happens to the other 20+ cavity nesters in California that depend upon woodpeckers to make their nest cavities? If the desert woodpeckers decline, what happens to the Lucy’s Warbler and Ash-throated Flycatcher? If the montane woodpeckers decline, what happens to the Mountain Bluebird and Flammulated Owl?

Join Oregon naturalist, North American woodpecker specialist, and Peterson’s Guide author Steve Shunk for an expert analysis of woodpecker conservation issues in the state and the trickle-down impacts on California’s other cavity nesters. His lively presentation and stunning images are sure to make you the woodpecker’s “second greatest” champion. To learn more about how you can support cavity-dwelling wildlife, visit www.cavityconservation.com, and come see Steve Shunk’s presentation on September 21st.