Since the 1960's, LEWO numbers have declined by at least 60% due to loss of habitat, i.e. snags to use for natural nesting cavities. The initial goal of this project was to study whether or not Lewis’s woodpeckers would use nest boxes in areas where natural cavities are in short supply or are absent due to loss of habitat. We have had success! For the past 5 years LEWO’s have been using nest boxes at our ‘Entrada Nest Box Project Site’, for breeding purposes and we are hoping this success will continue. Now, the goal of this study is to spread the word about our success, and to incorporate other potential LEWO nest box areas into this study as well.
Currently, there are 7 study areas located around Bend. Two are located S.E. of Bend, in the old Skeleton Burn area. Two more are located in the old Awbrey Hall Fire area near the Entrada Lodge off of Century Drive, one on forest service land, with a new site at Tetherow Golf course. A fifth study area is located in Shevlin Common, with the sixth and seventh sites located outside of Sisters. One identifier that is common in all of these areas, is that LEWO’s are known to be currently present within each project’s selected areas. We currently have 47 nest boxes in place for LEWO’s!This project was sponsored by Shevlin Commons during the 2005 season.
Talks on the success of this project have been given at the International Partner’s In Flight conference in McAllen, TX. The Western Working Group PIF conference in Portland, at Tetherow Golf Course in Bend, and at Bend’s local Birder’s Night. News of the success of this project has spurned others across the west to implement projects of their own. These projects include such places as, Burns, OR. British Columbia, Colorado, Montana, as well in western Washington and Oregon. American Bird Conservancy also published an article applauding the success of our project and how this nest box project has helped our local population of Lewis’s woodpeckers.