Nothing in nature ever stays the same. It is a mantra that I find myself telling people more and more. We expect nature to always be the same. And worse yet, we tend to look back at the “good old days” and remember how great things were and lament of how things are now. This is an innate human behavior that manifests itself in unrealistic expectations of past wildlife populations. We seem to expect peak wildlife numbers all the time with none of the down swings.
It is important to understand that nature is dynamic and is in a constant state of flux. It’s how nature works. Think of it as the ebb and flow of life. As one part of nature contracts or reduces there is always something else that is expanding and increased. Take this winter’s increase of Snowy Owls into some of our northern states. In recent years we have learned that when Snowy Owls irrupt it is because of an abundance of food last winter and female Snowy Owl produces more owlets in the spring. Consequently, the following winter many young Snowy Owls irrupt out of their home range and into areas they are not normally found, such as this winter.
On the other hand, there are some species that have increased or decreased without such a clear reason. The Red-bellied Woodpecker is a good example of a species that has really expanded. Thirty years ago, this bird was not very common. Now it inhabits most backyards, parks, and any woodland throughout the eastern half of America. Why such a big increase in population is hard to say.
On the other side of the coin, the Red-headed Woodpecker (a very similar species as the Red-bellied Woodpecker) has declined dramatically in all regions. In fact, in many parts of the country the red-head has completely disappeared—a term called extirpated. Areas where I use to see and photograph Red-headed Woodpeckers haven’t had a single woodpecker in many years. Again, why this is, isn’t clear. You might be tempted to say it’s a loss of habitat, but how does that explain the ever increasing Red-bellied Woodpecker, which is similar size, shape and requires similar habitat and is doing great.
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