Question: Why should we not cut down large dead trees after events such as Wilma?
Answer: A considerable number of birds need tree cavities to nest and rest in. The variety ranges from warblers and wrens up to woodpeckers and owls.
As humans destroy natural habitat (a process also referred to as development or progress), there are fewer and fewer dead trees to provide the necessary holes for birds.
Unfortunately, many people feel that dead trees in their yards are unsightly, and they deny themselves the pleasure of enjoying the constant, natural, and free entertainment of birds that would use those trees.
Eastern Screech Owl, left; Red-bellied Woodpecker, above; Northern Flicker, right.
