I found it!: Why are there so many fewer Red-headed Woodpeckers today than
when I was a child in the 1950s?
McCormac and Kennedy in BIRDS OF OHIO:
"Its peak numbers coincided with the die-off of once abundant American
chestnuts and American elms - the millions of standing dead trees created
perfect habitat."

Peterjohns account of species fluctuation in THE BIRDS OF OHIO:
after 1860 increased rapidly with open farmland and fencerows
by mid 1930s "decidedly reduced numbers"
brief recovery in 1950s
reversed trend in 1960s
significant declines since 1966

"Steel mills born during the first World War began shortly thereafter to
produce steel fenceposts. By 1925 steel posts were in wide use. 'Clean
farming' was the current fad."
"The ultimate...came in 1935 with the advent of the electric fence"
(Wildlife and Farm Fence Rows - University of Wisonsin - Extension Service)
and "by mid 1930s 'decidedly reduced numbers' of Red-headed Woodpeckers.

Dutch Elm Disease fungus was introduced to the United States on diseased
logs from Europe in the 1930’s. It took it's toll bigtime and so Red-headed
Woodpeckers had "brief recovery in 1950s" with all those dead elms around.
by 1968 when I went to college at Purdue, every single victim of DED that
had lined the streets of the entire campus had been deemed "unsightly" and
removed.
That was true acrossed the US...consequential "significant decline" of the
Red-headed Woodpecker since 1966.

This is one reason I feel so priveledged to have these TWO Red-headed
Woodpecker families close by.
The decrease-in-population question had lingered with me always.

Of interest from Peterjohn:
"Red-headed Woodpeckers seldom drill for burrowing insects. Instead, their
summer diet is insects captured on the wing, supplemented with acorns and
other mast."
Mast (had to look that one up since my husband is making a sailboat mast at
this very moment) means "The nuts of forest trees accumulated on the
ground." I wonder if in this case, Peterjohn could be referring to corn
which the Red-headed Woodpeckers glean from farm fields?


IN THE SPIRIT OF CONSERVATION
Debra Bowles, AMV Communications
www.orgs.muohio.edu/AudubonMiamiValley
~ ~ ~
Rehabilitating native birds via
Second Chance Wildlife: 513 875 3433