This is bird note.

When are the sounds of construction?

Also the sounds of conservation.

One example is when they come from the building of nest boxes

for birds such as the red-headed woodpecker.

But why build a nest box for woodpeckers?

Don't they carve out their own homes?

They do.

Red-headed woodpeckers excavate cavities in large dead trees,

called snags.

Yet, over much of the birds' range,

snags are frequently cut down as unsightly,

or because they make good firewood.

The red-headed woodpecker is a striking bird.

Its scarlet head glows in sharp contrast

with its flashy black and white wings.

It's a head turner, even for those who rarely notice birds.

Native to the east and midwest,

its numbers have dropped by more than half since the 1960s,

largely through loss of suitable nesting habitat.

There are ways we can help the red-headed woodpecker.

The key is to leave snags intact.

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