This year, around 50 white-backed woodpeckers have been observed in Sweden. It may not sound like many, but the acutely threatened species has had a record number of successful breedings this year.
"We now hope that many new chicks will emerge," says Beatrice Rindevall, chairman of the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation, in a press release.
This year, there have been twelve successful breedings, which can be compared to last year's eleven.
The association points to several reasons for the increase in breedings. The habitats that the white-backed woodpecker is dependent on, old deciduous forests with a lot of dead wood, have been restored. This is being done in collaboration between several county administrative boards, forest owners, and forestry companies, and benefits not only this species but also over 200 other threatened and red-listed plant and animal species.
In addition, white-backed woodpecker chicks are being raised in a project and released into the wild. In northern Sweden, white-backed woodpeckers are also spontaneously immigrating from Finland and Russia.
