By: Mark Fike
Spring has arrived and so have many birds, nests, beautiful melodies and bug control to boot.
There are many things landowners can do to attract birds and make their property welcome for birds.
Why welcome birds to your backyard?
Birdhouses offer a chance for children to see baby birds.
There are several reasons.
Aesthetic beauty and the calming effect of watching a songbird is probably the biggest reason most people love to have colorful visitors.
The soft and warbling melodies that awaken you in the morning on a spring or summer day also are appreciated by many.
Some knowledge of the benefits of flycatchers and other insect eating birds.
Imagine the backyard cookout and nap in a hammock with fewer bugs bothering your peace and quiet and your meal.
One of the best things that can be done to improve your yard from a bird’s point of view is to put up a structure for the birds to use as a nesting box.
Each bird has its own preferred nesting place.
Some birds prefer a space to make their own mud nests including abandoned buildings, an exposed ledge, a rafter or truss in a shed.
Others, such as wrens, do well in dark cavities such as rolled up materials, coffee cans on their sides or holes in trees.
Keep those old hollow trees around for this purpose.
Many animals take advantage of hollow trees. Still, others do well with a birdhouse.
If building your own birdhouse or placing a nesting site on your property, keep in mind a few things.
First of all, take into consideration territory.
Do not place birdhouses too close together. Birds are very territorial.
Next, if you plan on planting a garden it may be a good idea to put a nesting site nearby for a bird species that can swoop and catch insects.
Be sure to clean out nesting sites each spring.
Other nesting sites that are placed in your yard should take into consideration the proper size of the box, the direction the opening faces (some species need a southerly exposure while some need an easterly exposure, etc.), and the height needed for the particular bird species.
Your state wildlife biologists can offer direction as to what size and exposure direction that different species of birds need.
An internet search can also turn up results for your favorite birds.
Food and cover are the most important aspects of drawing birds to your property and yard.
While feeding birds via a feeder is an option, natural sources of food can be used as well.
Gardens, as mentioned earlier, are excellent attractants for birds.
A bed of flowers will also bring in hummingbirds. A compost pile draws insects as does a small field or rough edge at the far end of your yard.
Let the edges of your fields get a little taller than the “putting green” grass you keep.
Keep in mind that taller grass does draw snakes too so keep those areas a bit farther from your house unless you welcome snakes.
Cover is a pretty easy essential to come by.
Birds like places to perch out of danger. Some birds like places higher than the surrounding ground in order to see.
Flycatchers like clotheslines, posts and open trees. Place a few roosting or resting spots around your yard.
Thinking of alternate nesting sites means that certain trees make good cover.
Keeping perching trees or allowing the far edge of your property to grow a bit will offer places for birds to catch prey.
Specifically, cedar trees and pine trees make good nesting and thermal cover.
Doves, cardinals, sparrows and other birds are particularly fond of evergreens.
Quail, turkey and small mammals do very well with borders that are rough and thick.
Take care when bush hogging to leave some edges of the fields you may have for such birds to “bug”.
It is imperative that turkey poults and quail have a lower cover that is somewhat open for this purpose.
No matter how large or small your property is you can create a small habitat to attract birds to your yard.
Birds serve many purposes and are pleasant to watch. Kids enjoy watching birds raise their young.
There is much that can be learned from birds in your yard.
With a little effort, you can have many colorful visitors this spring.
Tips for Bird Boxes from the VDGIF website:
- The box should have ¼” holes or larger in the bottom for proper drainage
- There should be holes or spaces on the sides of the box near the roof for adequate ventilation
- The box should be constructed of wood at least ¾” thick and preferably 1” thick to insulate nesting birds from the heat
- The roof should overhang the front of the box a good 2” to shelter the opening from wind and rain
- If the box is painted, it should be painted in a light color to reflect heat; clear varnish works fine
- Check to see that the back of the box is long enough to make it easy to mount to a post, or that some provision is made for easy installation
- Do a little reading about cavity-nesters first: you’re building homes for future generations!
