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Old growth forests, such as those found in the coastal rainforests of British Columbia (BC), are among the most endangered ecosystems in the world (Lindenmayer et al. 2012). Trees that are allowed to decay (e.g. not harvested prior to or during decay) are critical for forest bird communities as they provide nests and shelter for about 20% of forest vertebrates worldwide (Cockle et al. 2011). Primary excavators (e.g. woodpeckers) act as keystone species in forest ecosystems because they maintain vertebrate communities (Trzcinski et al. 2021), create integral cavity communities, and become important indicators of forest and ecosystem health (Drever et al. 2008, Drever and Martin 2010). Red-breasted sapsuckers, a primary excavator woodpecker species, are found along the western coast of North America. Despite their common occurence in west coast forests, knowledge about their ecology and life history is lacking (Walters et al. 2020). Since 1991 (32 years), the Laskeek Bay Conservation Society has monitored the location and nest site characteristics of red-breasted sapsuckers (Sphyrapicus ruber) cavities and their population sizes on East Limestone Island, Haida Gwaii, BC (Gaston et al. 2023, Pilgrim et al. 2019). The coastal old growth forest on the island has not been logged, but the island is exposed to weather events that can alter the forest structure through blowdown events (Gaston et al. 2023), providing opportunities to examine how naturally occurring forest change can affect population dynamics, survival, and productivity of forest birds. We will assess adult survival, breeding and productivity, diet, and contaminant loads of red-breasted sapsuckers (Sphyrapicus ruber) on East Limestone Island. Objectives 1. Determine survival of red-breasted sapsuckers across years, recruitment of juveniles, and site fidelity of adults at nest trees by colour banding and resighting individuals. 2. Examine contaminant load and stable isotopes of red-breasted sapsuckers and other species from feathers and fecal samples. 3. Examine the diet of red-breasted sapsuckers from opportunistically collected fecal samples using DNA barcoding and/or identification of ant heads. 4. Examine nest survival, success, and productivity in relation to climate, weather, and cavity tree characteristics. 5. Determine cavity re-use by secondary or tertiary cavity nesters, and ultimately the community nestweb structure.