When a tree dies or is damaged, our first instinct is to cut it down, but there are many reasons to reconsider. There are birds, mammals and many other species of wildlife who make their homes in fallen trees and holes in the ground.
"There are two kinds of cavity nesters. Those that are what we call primary cavity nesters, which are those that make their own holes," says wildlife biologist Jim Pease. "Then there are secondary nesters, who take advantage of holes that others have created or that nature has created through other means. For example, if a tree branch dies on a tree, it will rot back on the tree, and that will make a hole. That creates potential homes for wildlife."
During this hour of Talk of Iowa, host Charity Nebbe talks with Pease about different species that make their homes this way, including woodpeckers, chickadees, nuthatches, wrens, owls, and wood ducks.
