'Breakfast for the Birds' project completed for the benefit of endangered Red-cockaded Woodpecker

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Texas -- The "Breakfast with the Birds" hosted by the William Goodrich Jones State Forest was a huge success, according to John Warner of the Texas A&M Forest Service. Many volunteers and community residents turned out to watch the artificial cavities inserted into the trees.

“The inserts are part of the final step in preparing the area for the translocation of new Red-cockaded Woodpeckers to the state forest this fall or spring,” stated Warner.

The project wasn’t just for the birds, it was a collaborative effort on the part of several organizations concerned with the preservation of this endangered species of bird.

Texas Master Naturalist volunteers helped remove brush from around trees targeted for the artificial cavities. Raven Environmental inserted ten receptacles into the trees in the area inhabited by the Red-cockaded Woodpecker. The effort will be completed as an Eagle Scout project, banding the trees that received the artificial cavities. The Boy Scouts have also committed to clearing some of the remaining brush.

Those donating to the project had their names placed on the artificial cavity inserts. Many of the donors were on hand to watch the procedure.