Pileated Woodpecker is knocking on wood for survival

A damning report, recently released by the Commission for Environmental Cooperation for North America (CEC), has indicated that timber harvest in Ontario is destroying the habitat of one of the province's iconic woodland bird species, the Pileated Woodpecker. The Ministry of Natural Resources has vowed to protect the bird, and yet Ontario's forestry policies are contributing to the species' decline.

Pileated Woodpecker populations will drop dramatically unless the Ontario government intervenes and affords meaningful protection for the species.

The report indicates that Pileated Woodpecker habitat will decrease in Ontario by 35% due to logging. "The implications of the habitat loss are devastating," said Josh Garfinkel, Earthroots Wildlife Campaigner. "There are many other birds and mammals that depend on the tree cavities of the Pileated Woodpecker for their survival, and they too will suffer from this habitat loss."

The Pileated Woodpecker is one of the Ministry of Natural Resources' 'featured' species because its population is an indicator of the health of mature forest ecosystems. If enough habitat exists to maintain a healthy woodpecker population, it means that the forest is healthy. Once an indicator species, like the Pileated Woodpecker, starts to decline, the ecological consequences can be dire.

"The Ministry of Natural Resources' has declared that Pileated Woodpecker populations must not decline on a provincial scale because of forest management activities," said Catharine Grant, Earthroots' Forest Campaigner. "Yet the CEC report shows there will be dramatic decline in the areas where woodpeckers can survive. The bottom line is that Ontario is ignoring its own policy about protecting woodpeckers."

The report investigated how logging activities affect birds protected by the Migratory Birds Convention Act. The report shows that logging is destroying habitat and nesting grounds for several migratory bird species, such as the Boreal Chickadee and Bay-breasted Warbler. Although the Pileated Woodpecker is not a migratory species, the report indicates that their projected habitat loss is the most dramatic at 35%. The survival of both Ontario's local and migratory bird populations is at stake.

"The Pileated Woodpecker is a symbol of Ontario's cherished wilderness," explained Garfinkel. "Earthroots demands that the government uphold its commitment to protect the habitat of this important species."