Written by: Marge Vorndam, Pueblo County Extension Master Gardener Emeritus
As we humans develop homes and infrastructure for ourselves, traditional wildlands are displaced, causing the other creatures from those cleared areas to have to relocate. With some knowledge as to how we can preserve habitats in our own yards, we can still preserve many of those species. Particularly, birds can adapt to living with humans if we learn how to reframe our locations in ways that can support them locally. Some thoughts about how to do that are presented here.
The important factors for life are air, water (i.e., water fountains and drip sources), food (bird feeders with seeds and insects, such as mealworms), and shelter (nesting boxes and breeding sites away from predators). By offering aspects of these needs around our homes and properties, we can protect birds’ habitats. You can research to learn more about what pieces would be appropriate to add for your neighborhood and habitat.
Concentrate on providing appropriate types of water sources (bird baths and small wildlife ponds). Keep mosquitoes at bay by sprinkling non-damaging mosquito baits (Bacillus thuringensis) on the water when the swimming mosquito wiggler larvae appear. Locate nesting and nesting material sites where location will not result in damage or death to birds.
Don’t forget, there are many flowering plants that are important seed and insect sources for bird feed. Flowering plants can also provide nesting material. Small branches are used by wrens for building nests in protected places. Thistle down, that contains seeds, creates soft beds for some species of young birds. Virtually every plant can be used by the wildlife around your home environment.
If the birds are plentiful around your home, it means that you are creating a great environment for them!
Cedar Waxwing feeding on fruit. Paul Vorndam, Photographer
There is a wealth of resources available with suggestions for supporting birds. A particularly easy one to implement is replacing porch lights with low-lumen yellow lights. Yellow Warblers and other species migrate at night and are affected by bright light pollution. Dark skies create safer travels. See the Audubon Rockies article below for additional suggestions that you can implement to support their journeys.
Another is adding birdhouses for birds that prefer those conditions. Bluebirds and Kestrels are two bird species that are endangered. Creating species-specific nest boxes in the appropriate place can help to protect their numbers. Most bird species require unique settings to nest successfully.
So take your place helping to preserve our wild world by further exploring what you can do to nurture the birds and other critters around us. There are many excellent resources to encourage you. Start with the resources below.
Resources:
Meadows, Ashley, 2024. 6 budget-friendly ways to protect birds. Audubon Rockies.
https://rockies.audubon.org/budget-friendly-ways-to-protect-birds
A more general book with several chapters on promoting birds and other wildlife in your gardens year-round is Bill Merilees’ Book. 1989. Attracting Backyard Wildlife. A Guide for Nature Lovers. Voyager Press. Available from https://www.thriftbooks.com/a/bill-merilees/339667/. Good information never goes out of style.
The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 2024. https://nestwatch.org/?utm_source=nc&utm_medium=standard&utm_campaign=CrossPromoteAAB_NW_20100201
We, Master Gardeners, encourage you to further look into the plethora of online information on creating home habitats for birds that frequent your area. Check out “Books about Backyard Birding” online for more excellent advice.