[Mnbird] Red-headed woodpeckers

[Pamela Freeman]

This is true of all 'snags' and dead trees - they are a very important part
of a living forest - insects make their homes in them and eat them, and the
birds, and some animals too, find them and so are nourished, as well as
finding their own homes there-in.
It is true that sometimes it is necessary to take down a dead tree, as if
it is in danger of falling, and would do so on a structure or where a
person could be harmed, that, of course, must be taken into account and
prevented. But it is a good thing to leave them up when you can, either for
as long as you can, while they are still strong and not a danger, or if
they are not near to structures or power lines and such, then keep them.  I
think too often, people think, oh, its dead, it is of no use anymore, or it
is just ugly, and down it goes.
We need to keep habitat where we can.
We have some acres, and we leave our dead trees standing, unless they are
somewhere where their falling would cause harm or injury.
And we have many woodpeckers who come to forage on them. No red headed,
alas, but pileated, downy and hairy and red bellied.
Some only build their nests in living growth, but they sure do find food in
the dead wood. The splinters fly when the pileateds go at them!

Thanks for you post - it is good to know that they, the red headeds, are
seemingly thriving in some areas. I remember them from growing up being
pretty common, and now I have to go to certain known places to find them.


- Pamela
Never give up on a dream just because of the length of time it will take to
accomplish it. The time will pass anyway. - Unknown

“There are some who can live without wild things and some who cannot.”
― Aldo Leopold
I am one who cannot.


On Sat, Oct 19, 2019 at 1:34 PM Raymond Faber via Mnbird <
mnbird at lists.mnbird.net> wrote:

> In the late '70s, I took an Ornithology class to a Mississippi River
> floodplain forest tract.  Red-headed woodpeckers were numerous.  I told the
> students to enjoy it while it lasted, because the dead American elm tree
> carcasses would soon be gone, killed by Dutch elm disease.  Seeing them was
> then uncommon for many years.  Recently I expressed the hope that
> red-headed woodpeckers would once again become more common, given that ash
> trees are being devastated by the emerald ash borer invasion (it appears
> worse to me than the Dutch elm disease episode).  On Thursday, my
> Ornithology class enjoyed marvelous weather while walking the trail to
> King's Bluff at Great River Bluffs State Park.  Red-headed woodpeckers were
> numerous!  Many ash trees around the Winona area have been cut down after
> being killed by emerald ash borers due to safety concerns. That is
> unavoidable, but if you have an ash tree that does not endanger people or
> structures when it falls it would be helpful to woodpeckers (etc) to let it
> stand.  Red-headed woodpeckers will thank you!
>
> Ray Faber
>
> --
> Raymond A. Faber, Ph.D.
> Professor of Biology
> Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
> 700 Terrace Heights #1524
> Winona MN 55987
>
> Telephone: 507-457-1540
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