I like this more than your short story. It's interesting to think about the procession of birds (and native species in general) through America over time. The redheaded woodpecker is threatened in a lot of places now, and that will only get worse. I guess, as you said, it was in the way... I wonder what we're in the way of. Perhaps, literally, an errant comet. Who knows.
There was an earlier draft of the piece that talked about the ravens of my youth, which have been displaced by crows and pigeons. It's a shame. Ravens are noble birds. They're incredible. And they make such lovely noises. But they aren't social the way crows are, so the crows win. Kinda like how the entire ecosystem of New Zealand is threatened by housecats. With no mammals around a Kiwi is an apex predator... but with mammals around, they start looking like the dead ends they are...