Blandford Nature Center issued the following announcement on Dec 22.
Have you ever seen a rectangular-shaped hole in a dead tree like this? That is evidence a Pileated woodpecker has visited! These birds make the large rectangular holes to get to their favorite food, carpenter ants. Pileated woodpeckers will also create deep holes in dead trees to lay their eggs and raise their young. However, they won’t reuse these holes - they make new nesting holes each year!
All of the holes they make are very important to other animals. Screech owls, small songbirds, bats, and other creatures use these holes for shelters. We call animals that create habitat for others and deeply affect an ecosystem a keystone species! Without them, the ecosystem would look completely different and certain species might not be able to survive. Not only do they provide shelter for other animals, they also lower the population of harmful tree pests like wood-boring insects that often kill trees. If you want to help Pileated woodpecker populations and keep your forest and yard healthy, keep some dead trees on your land standing. They’re vital to Pileated woodpeckers and a multitude of other critters!
Original source can be found here.
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