UPSON COUNTY, Ga. — Last seen nearly 50 years ago, an endangered species of woodpecker has been reintroduced at Sprewell Bluff Wildlife Management Area in Thomaston.
The red-cockaded woodpecker was once found throughout the southeastern U.S., but habitat loss caused the species' population size to decline drastically.
The endangered bird was last documented at Sprewell Bluff in 1976, according to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
DNR says after several years of hard work, three pairs of red-cockaded woodpeckers were transported from Fort Stewart and released into their new artificial nest cavities at Sprewell Bluff.
Officials hope the birds will take to their new home and begin raising young next spring in an effort to end the species' long absence in the area.
