US-GA-Piedmont+National+Wildlife+Refuge

=Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge= Allison Lake Rd, Hillsboro, GA 31038 Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge webpage Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge map
 * =Birding in Georgia=

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Piedmont NWR
Coordinates: 33.1106636, -83.6790204 eBird links: Hotspot map View details Recent visits My eBird links: Location life list Submit data

Piedmont NWR--Little Rock Wildlife Drive
Coordinates: 33.0920018, -83.7189102 eBird links: Hotspot map View details Recent visits My eBird links: Location life list Submit data

Piedmont NWR--Pond 2A
Coordinates: 33.1479624, -83.7534984 eBird links: Hotspot map View details Recent visits My eBird links: Location life list Submit data

About Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge
Piedmont NWR was established in 1939 as a "combination wildlife and game-manangement demonstration area" to demonstrate that wildlife could be restored on worn out, eroded lands. Ira Gabrielson, Chief of the Bureau of Biological Survey, predecessor agency of the US Fish & Wildlife Service, selected Piedmont from a list of Resettlement Projects. He stated that if the Bureau could take a piece of completely worn out and useless land, like Piedmont was at the time, and make it into a productive wildlife area, then he would know that any kind of land could be managed for wildlife.

The rich diversity of habitats provides a haven for nearly 200 species of birds. In the forests, birds commonly seen include woodpeckers, warblers, flycatchers, brown-headed nuthatches and chickadees. Wood ducks, great blue herons, and belted kingfishers may be found near wetlands. In open areas, look for hawks, bluebirds and the wild turkey.

There are many opportunities to see and hear neotropical songbirds on Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge. However, April and May provide the best viewing time. Meanwhile, winter waterfowl can be observed from December through February on refuge ponds.

Red-cockaded Woodpecker
The Red-cockaded woodpecker’s common name came into use during the early 1800’s when ‘cockade’ was regularly used to refer to a ribbon or other ornament worn in a hat. Female RCWs lack the red cockade. Juvenile males have a red 'patch' on the top of the head above the eyes. This patch disappears during the fall of their first year at which time their ‘red-cockades’ appear. This single cockade feather is usually not visible on the adult males. The Red-cockaded Woodpecker (RCW), an endangered species, has first priority in refuge management on Piedmont. The RCW, a native bird of the southeastern forests, prefers mature, older age, open canopy pine stands with a low ground cover of grasses and forbs. Over the years, the RCW has declined throughout its range. Its decline has been traced to the loss of older age, open pine forest in the south, a fire dependent system in which the RCW is adapted. Because fire is a historic disturbance agent, the refuge uses prescribed fire on a 2-3 year rotation to manage RCW habitat.

During 2006, Piedmont NWR was home to 38 active clusters, an aggregate of cavity trees used by a group, and 82 nestlings were observed.

The best time of year to view the RCW is in the spring. Please contact the Refuge office for more information on viewing opportunities by email (piedmont@fws.gov) or by calling (478) 986-5441. For more information on the Red Cockaded Woodpecker contact the RCW Coordinator at http://www.fws.gov/rcwrecovery.

From WEBSITE



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media type="custom" key="28919904" || L339682 US US-GA US-GA-169 33.1106636 -83.6790204 Piedmont NWR