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Texas woodpecker is no longer endangered after 54 years

The red-cockaded woodpecker has been reclassified to "threatened" after population increase.

TEXAS, USA — The red-cockaded woodpecker species found in East Texas is no longer endangered.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has reclassified the bird to "threatened" after efforts for conservation that lasted decades.

The species was marked as endangered in 1970 after there were fewer than 10,000 individuals and 1,470 families of the bird. Now, there are an estimated 7,900 clusters that range from Virginia to Texas, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service.

Even though the bird's status has improved, they are still under protection and conservation due to the fact their population has not fully recovered. 

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