- Author: Birgitte Elbeck, UCCE Master Gardener
- Author: Jody Greaney, UCCE Master Gardener
Many of us enjoy birds, but we may be inadvertently hanging “No vacancy” signs over our gardens. Research by entomologist Doug Tallamy shows that to raise their young, birds need caterpillars – lots of them. Songbirds as little as chickadees require some six to nine thousand caterpillars to raise a brood of nestlings. In fact, ninety-six percent of terrestrial songbirds rely on caterpillars to feed their babies. The prevalence of these small, soft-bodied, protein-rich larvae affects where the birds choose to nest and how big a territory they need to defend.
Fortunately, we have a good jump on knowing what these vital keystone species are. The information presented below, and the identification of keystone plant genera is based on the research of Doug Tallamy of the University of Delaware, author of Nature's Best Hope.
Here is a list of resources/databases to help you select keystone plants to support caterpillars and birds in our area:
- Calscape - Restore Nature One Garden at a Time. Enter the city where you live to see a list of native plants to choose from. You will find lots of information about each plant: images, descriptions, growth habits, and the number and types of butterflies and moths supported to name a few. (The numbers of moths and butterflies hosted indicated in the plant list below are from this search tool.)
- Audubon - Native Plants, Bring more birds to your home with native plants. Enter your zip code to see plants suited to your area and the birds they will support.
- National Wildlife Federation, Native Plant Finder Select from a list of host plants for butterflies and moths. Plants are ranked by the number of caterpillars hosted.
Using the databases above, we have put together a list of native plants that do well in our area and support butterflies and moths, which provide caterpillars to feed the birds. They all support numerous caterpillar species in our area. Numbers in parentheses indicate the probable number of caterpillar species supported.
Shrubs: Willows (211), Bitter Cherry (156), Ceanothus (85), Currants and gooseberries (85), Huckleberries (65), Wild Roses (66), Lupines (55), Manzanitas (56)
Perennials: Thimbleberry (70), Cow's Clover (67), Goldenrods (53), Beach Strawberry (32), Coast Buckwheat (31)
Annuals: Native Clovers (70), Miniature Lupine (54)
For more detailed information on these and other native plant species options for your growing conditions, visit Calscape - Restore Nature One Garden at a Time
If you would like to visit a local native garden, the North Coast CNPS, California Native Plant Society, has an extensive list of local native gardens from Trinidad to Ferndale.
Protecting The Birds That Visit Your Garden
OK! You've planted your keystone species, the caterpillars are on their way, and our feathered friends will follow. Yay!! But not surprisingly, the birds, like us, need more than just food. Here are a few steps to help you turn your avian restaurant into a home.
Reduce or eliminate pesticide use: Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies, such as proper plant selection, can help gardeners adopt more sustainable landscape practices.
Provide Fresh Water: Place a birdbath in the landscape and be sure to keep it clean. If you are really ambitious, a small fountain with protective plants around it will attract the birds!
Add a nest box (birdhouse) - Nest boxes can provide valuable homes for many birds For more information about nest box design and placement for specific birds visit https://nestwatch.org/learn/all-about-birdhouses/.
Keep cats indoors: Free-roaming cats kill 2-3 billion birds yearly. If you want your cat to experience the outdoors, please consider building an enclosed cat patio (catio.)
Prevent window strikes: Up to a billion birds are killed every year from collisions with windows. The site below has ideas on how to prevent these accidents.
Layer your yard's habitat:
- If you have space, consider adding large shrubs or small trees such as Bitter cherry (156), Toyon (4), Coffeeberry (23), Cascara Sagrada (27), Red Alder (70), or Vine Maple (55). These trees/shrubs not only support caterpillars but can also provide fruit and nuts, nest cavities, and perches.
- Smaller shrubs, in addition to perennials and annuals, can provide cover and seeds for birds.
- Leave some decayed leaves, twigs, and other plant debris on the ground to provide homes for invertebrates that birds eat, including the pupae of most moth caterpillars.
Leave the seeds: Do not deadhead seedheads; they can be an important food source during fall and winter. Consider planting native plants such as Woolly Sunflower (Eriophyllum lanatum), California Aster (Corethrogyne filaginifolia), and Deergrass (Muhlenbergia rigens). These plants produce a profusion of seeds that attract and support seedeaters, such as finches and sparrows.
Especially for hummingbirds:In addition to soft-bodied insects and larvae, hummingbirds can feed on nectar from most any flowering shrub, tree, vine, perennial, or annual. They are especially attracted to native species with orange, pink, and red tubular flowers, such as Humboldt County Fuchsia (Epilobium septentrionale) and Hummingbird Sage (Salvia spathacea). Manzanitas, gooseberries, and currants are important for caterpillars and can also supply nectar in the colder months.
So, what are you waiting for? Now that spring planting is near, it is time to flip that “No Vacancy” sign to “Birds are Welcome!”
For more information related to protecting birds visit:
University of California, Sustainable Landscaping in California https://anrcatalog.ucanr.edu/pdf/8504.pdf
Audubon, How to Clean a Birdbath — Attracting Birds to Your Yard | Audubon https://www.audubon.org/news/why-you-should-keep-your-birdbath-clean
NestWatch, All About Birdhouses https://nestwatch.org/learn/all-about-birdhouses/
American Bird Conservancy, Cats and Birds https://abcbirds.org/program/cats-indoors/cats-and-birds/
American Bird Conservancy, Solutions for Pet Cats, Catios and Outdoor Enclosures https://abcbirds.org/catio-solutions-cats/
Cornell Lab, All About the Birds, Why Birds Hit Windows – And How You Can Help Prevent It https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/why-birds-hit-windows-and-how-you-can-help-prevent-it/#
- Author: Jeannette Warnert
Early morning birdsong, hummers darting around flowers and tiny doves in patio nests are enchanting. Without the farmers' concern about profit, gardeners can more readily forgive the occasional pecked fruit, stolen nuts and avian grazing on freshly planted vegetable seeds.
UC Cooperative Extension human-wildlife interaction advisor Breanna Martinico said during a webinar presentation that integrated pest management techniques can be used to maximize bird benefits while minimizing the damage they can cause.
She suggests starting with identification.
“Bird ID is fun,” she said. “Sit in the backyard with a cup of coffee, binoculars and a bird ID guide and get to know what birds are using your backyard. It's a great way to relax and connect with nature. You might be surprised what you find that you weren't noticing before.”
If birds are causing a problem, cultural practices – such as exclusion with netting or frightening with bird distress calls or fake predators – are more effective than control. “Be sure to include a cost-benefit analysis when deciding on bird deterrents or exclusion,” she said. “It may be best to tolerate damage if it is minimal.”
Lethal control is strictly regulated and rarely the best choice. Many birds in the U.S. are protected under the Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act. It is illegal to kill or capture migratory birds or destroy their eggs or nests. Game bird hunting is regulated by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and limited by location and hunting seasons.
Martinico's talk was more focused on supporting bird populations by making gardens welcoming to birds, and gaining an appreciation for the beneficial role bird species play in California.
She shared the results of recent research on Western bluebirds and songbirds that used forensic DNA analysis of droppings to determine exactly what birds are eating.
“They eat incredible amounts of insects,” Martinico said. “If a particular insect is abundant and becoming a pest, they are effective at reducing pest numbers.”
Sometimes birds that have a reputation for eating desired crops only do this during certain seasons, while at other times they are gardeners' friends. Blackbirds, for example, eat insects in the spring when they need a protein-rich diet to feed their young. They only need to be scared away in late summer, when their flocking behavior becomes more prevalent, and they switch to grains and seeds.
Welcome birds to the garden
Invite birds to your garden by growing diverse, complex landscapes with food and water sources. Large monocultures, like lawns, can have ample resources for pests, but not enough to support other species that might reduce pests, Martinico said. Grow native plants and large trees, and place nest boxes for pest-eating birds like barn owls, ash-throated flycatchers, Western bluebirds, tree swallows and house wrens. Raptor perches will give birds of prey a place to hunt for gophers and other rodents.
When there is bird activity in the backyard, particularly nests with eggs or chicks, minimize the presence of people, cats, dogs, noise and bright lights at night, Martinico said.
Resources:
Birds on home and landscape tree fruit and vines, UC Integrated Pest Management Program
Songbird nest box plans, North Carolina State Extension
Barn owl nest box plans, Wild Farm Alliance
Information about local bird populations, Nestwatch, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Birds: Friends or Foes? webinar on YouTube
Breanna Martinico, Human-Wildlife Interactions Advisor, Napa, Lake, and Solano counties
Fly free; fly high.
Wings wafted upward by gentle breeze.
Soar above the land.
Wings buffeted by gusty wind.
Survey the land below.
Seek forage from land, sea and sky.
Toil under the sun splendid creatures resplendently garbed.
Find rest in night's stillness and quietude.
The flock enjoys its lot and is happy in its work.
Forge ahead.
Create parallel V formations with masterly precision.
Exchange positions seamlessly between flight commander and avian crew.
A one minded community.
I watch below, beguiled, straining to see whirls of graceful fluidity.
Birds hover and swoosh upward to join swirling comrades.
Birds of a feather flock together in reverence and one in purpose.
Fly away; fly away.
Unearthly creatures.
Winged angels of the sky.
We hope to see you at one of our presentation's on Backyard Birds at a local library near you! Read our post to see dates and times: https://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=57966
Martha Martin has been a UC Cooperative Extension Master Gardener in Stanislaus County since 2022.
A recent study* found that seeing or hearing birds can improve your mood and mental wellbeing for up to eight hours! Instead of heading out to bird watch, why not attract them to your own backyard or apartment patio?
This presentation was put together by Denise Godbout-Avant, one of our UC Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners. She did a lot of research to learn about local birds in Stanislaus County. You will be amazed when you see the colorful birds that live and migrate through our area!
Learn more at The Backyard is for the Birds classes at a local Stanislaus County Library near you during October of 2023. You don't need to sign up to attend the classes.
Visit our Calendar at https://ucanr.edu/sites/stancountymg/Calendar/ for dates, times, and locations.
*Time Magazine. Birdwatching Has Big Mental Health Benefits. https://time.com/6231886/birdwatching-mental-health/
- Author: Ben Faber
DPR funds educational resources to increase the adoption of reduced-risk, sustainable pest management practices for farmersAs part of DPR's goal to accelerate the transition to safer, more sustainable pest management and fulfill its mission to foster reduced-risk pest management, DPR has funded a project with Wild Farm Alliance (WFA) to provide educational resources for farmers to encourage the use of beneficial birds for pest control. When beneficial birds are supported, they can sustainably reduce pest insects and rodents that cause crop damage. Wild Farm Alliance created two free Continuing Education Courses about supporting avian pest control. The courses are online and can be taken any time throughout the year. These courses are approved for CE credit through DPR. Habitat on Farms Support Avian Pest Control Services (4 CE Units) Participants will learn about research that shows the benefits of installing habitat in and around farms to attract beneficial birds that provide valuable pest control services. Nest Boxes and Perches on Farms Support Avian Pest Control Services (3 CE Units) Participants will learn about the research showing the benefits to the farm of installing Western Bluebird and other songbird nest boxes, Barn Owl and American Kestrel boxes, and songbird and raptor perches to gain these birds' valuable pest control services. DPR's Integrated Pest Management Branch is supporting the use of sustainable pest management strategies in our state in a variety of ways, including funding these educational courses on beneficial birds for Pest Control Advisors and pesticide applicator license and certificate holders. https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/CADPR/bulletins/35b24c1
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