Attract Backyard Birds with an Ecosystem Approach!

while bird feeders are the most often used method to attract song birds into the yard are they the best option bird feeders must be filled and cleaned often and they offer nothing for non-seed eating birds or pollinators not to mention the rising cost of the feed to fill them and if they are placed improperly feeders often become an all you can eat buffet for the local Predator population using an ecosystem approach to attract birds makes much more sense with an ecosystem approach to attracting Birds their needs for food cover water and a place to raise their young are all provided for without the cost and hassle of maintaining bird feeders an ecosystem approach will also provide for pollinators and other wildlife and if planned well will look absolutely stunning let's start off with how to provide food the first step will be replacing those bird feeders with Native flowers that will produce seed that is preferred by birds there are plenty of choices and many of the most popular native wild flowers also produce seed that birds love if you would like to see a video on some of the best native flowers for seed eating birds let me know down in the comments in addition to seed many species of insects will overwinter in the dead stems and flowerheads and birds will pick them out when the cold sets in a huge plus to planting native wild flowers over bird feeders is that wild flowers will also support a wide range of pollinators and if the correct species are planted native pollen specialist bees which I did a video about that I will link in the description of course many of those visiting pollinators will be butterflies and Ms which brings us to the next way native plants can help to provide food which is to plant caterpillar host plants obviously host plants are super important to the butterflies and Ms whose caterpillars rely on them but we are talking about feeding Birds here caterpillars are a huge food source for birds not only for insectivorous birds like warblers and the yellow build cuckoo but also for seed eating birds such as sparrows which require huge amounts of caterpillars during the nesting season to feed their young think of caterpillars as the fuel baby birds require to grow the more caterpillars available the more baby baby birds can be fed and hopefully fledged of course to have baby birds the adults must have a place to nest and a good way to provide that is too plant some native shrubs shrubs are super important in a backyard bird plant and so often left out and forgotten the main reason you need shrubs for Birds is that shrubs provide dense cover many species of backyard birds prefer to nest in thick shrub cover those that don't nest in the shrubs will still use them for loafing feeding and most importantly as a scape cover song birds are prayed upon by all sorts of Critters from native hawks red foxes and snakes to introduce Freer ranging domestic cats which are especially hard on them so give the bird some cover to escape into and plant some shrubs species with dense branching and Thorns provide the best cover but any shrub cover is better than none also a mix of deciduous and evergreen shrubs can be used to provide varied cover all year long if you like learning about ecosystem approaches for providing for backyard Wildlife dive into that like button like a bird into a shrub native shrubs have a ton of value Beyond being cover many also provide food for birds in the form of nuts berries or seeds some of the best caterpillar host plants in eastern North America are shrubs and their blooms support all types of pollinators including several pollen specialist bees choosing shrub species wisely will elevate your backyard habitat in ways that not only benefit the birds but also pollinators and other Wildlife like a functioning ecosystem should while it's hard to beat the native shrubs for the value they bring to the table let's not forget their larger cousins the native trees let me just start by saying not all habitat projects require trees nor are all spaces conducive to the planting of trees smaller yards are spaces with many buildings in and around them and areas with power lines are best left without large trees growing in them but where there is space trees can add another layer of habitat niches that will be utilized by birds trees provide similar cover to shrubs only at a greater height and may allow Birds to escape from groundbased predators such as feral cats by flying up into the high branches there are also many species of bird that prefer to Nest higher off the ground or in cavities that will find trees more to their liking the highest ranking caterpillar host plants by number of species hosted in eastern North America are several gener of trees and they can provide an enormous amount of caterpillar biomass that can be converted to bird biomass I did a video about the best tree and shrub host plants that I will link in the description trees that produce nuts berries seeds and other fruits also provide food for birds from small species like Cedar Wax Wings up to larger birds like piliated woodpeckers and even wild turkey before I get to the final piece of this backyard bird attracting ecosystem I would like to take a moment to talk about an opportunity we are offering here at backyard ecology creating a backyard ecosystem like I am describing in this video takes planning and can be overwhelming if you have never done it before it can be tough to even get started because of information overload from the internet and social media that's why we are offering a class to simplify it all how to create wildlife habitat a comprehensive course for the Eastern us this is more than just a series of videos there are videos but also live sessions with Shannon and I to discuss them and also for you to ask specific questions about your project there is also a workbook that when completed will give you a step-by-step plan for creating your backyard dream habitat you will have access to a private for where you can ask questions and interact with other participants in the course and have direct access to Shannon and myself we only offer this course a couple of times a year and limit enrollment so everybody gets the attention they deserve if you want to become a backyard ecologist and take your backyard from a grass desert to a pollinator and Wildlife Oasis you can learn more about this opportunity at the link in the description the last piece of our ecosystem puzzle is a source of water birds are highly attracted to water especially water that has some movement to it they not only drink water but also bathe in it to clean their feathers the size of your water feature will largely be determined by your space and by your budget a bird bath is a great choice for a smaller space or a smaller budget while a simple bird bath that just holds water will attract birds it can be made even more attractive with the addition of a small pump that causes ripples on the water's surface and produces a gurgling sound the next step up from the bird bath is a full-blown in the ground Pond these are available as pre-molded liners from 20 to 200 gallons and even larger or can be made in any size and shape with a flexible liner of course a Pon type water feature is going to cost more to install but once done it should last forever and do they draw the birds all kinds of birds if you like to take pictures of birds it is hard to beat a water feature for setting up shots song birds don't require or want deep water so areas of shallow water must be provided for them an inch or so is plenty for birds to bathe in when it comes to adding water movement to a pond there are many options from waterfalls to bubblers and fountains your imagination is the limit another cool thing about ponds is that you can incorporate native wild flowers and small shrubs into them of course they must be moist soil species or emergent Wetland species a well-designed and planted Pond will also draw frogs toads and salamanders and the occasional mammal will stop by for a sip while pollinators may use a bird bath or Pond for water on occasion they prefer other ways of obtaining moisture I did a video about this which I will link in the description the best part of using an ecosystem approach to attract birds to your yard is that it also provides for pollinators and other Wildlife something bird feeders alone will never accomplish creating a functioning backyard ecosystem should be the goal of every backyard ecologist and to accomplish this some planning and forethought is required for some guidance on how to start planting a pollinator Garden check out this video and be sure to get out and explore nature in your backyard

Channel: Backyard Ecology

Views: 9,113

Keywords: Backyard birds, bird feeder, garden pond, water feature, bird bath, backyard bird ecosystem, how to get more birds in your yard, native plants for birds, native shrubs for birds, shrubs for birds, what to plant to attract birds, birds, backyard ecology, attract birds without a feeder, caterpillars for birds, bird nesting cover, cover for birds, songbirds in the yard, bird watching, how to get more backyard birds, water for birds, gardening for birds, attract more birds

Id: ITHgy8xhIV0

Length: 8min 5sec (485 seconds)

Published: Thu Jan 11 2024