Birdify Your Yard: Habitat Landscaping for Birds. Melissa Pitkin Klamath Bird Observatory

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1 Birdify Your Yard: Habitat Landscaping for Birds Melissa Pitkin Klamath Bird Observatory

2 KBO Mission KBO uses science to promote conservation in the Klamath- Siskiyou region and beyond, working in partnership with public and private entities to improve land management for birds and ecosystems. KBO also provides hands on experiences focusing on bird monitoring and habitat conservation for the public of all ages.

3 Why Landscape for Birds? Birds are beautiful- we want to watch and hear them Common Yellowthroat Birds are declining due to habitat loss Birds can help control insects in your garden White-crowned Sparrow

4 Declining Bird Populations Purple Finch declines, Jackson County Log(# cap tu re s p er net hour) Purple Finch y = x R 2 = year

5 What is causing bird population declines? 1. Failure to produce young 2. Failure to survive Rufous Hummingbird

6 Failure to produce young The number of young produced contributes directly to the size and viability of a population. Habitat loss and predation on nesting grounds can cause nest failures. Song Sparrow with nestlings

7 Failure to Survive Birds face threats to survival on breeding grounds, wintering grounds, and during migration. Habitat is key to bird survival. We can learn about survivorship by monitoring birds using mist-nets. Northern Pigmy Owl

8 Understanding Bird Nesting Requirements How birds nest When birds nest Where birds nest What birds need to nest Understory Native habitat Natural processes Natural predator-prey relationships Acorn Woodpecker

9 How Do Birds Nest? 7. Fledge young 1. Establish territory 2. Find a mate 6. Feed nestlings The Nesting Cycle 3. Find a place to nest 5. Incubate eggs 4. Build nest

10 When Do Birds Nest? Mid-April-July In Jackson County During this time, birds can be particularly susceptible to disturbance and predation. Swainson s Thrush on Nest WARNING! When birds cannot produce young populations can be drastically affected. Swainson s Thrush Nestlings

11 Where Do Birds Nest? Dispelling the myth Normal Birds nest everywhere!

12 Birds Nest Everywhere!

13 Birds Nest Everywhere! About 75% landbird nests are below 13 feet the understory. nest height categories (m) >10 m above 10m 5-10 m 5.1m - 10m 1-5 m 1.1m - 5m <1 m 1 cm - 1m Ground ground percent of nests (n =548), PRBO data

14 The Understory Understory is crucial for nesting birds A place to nest A place to forage A place for fledglings to hide Song Sparrow nest in the understory

15 What do birds need to nest? Native Habitat! provides birds with the appropriate habitat requirements for nesting Warbling Vireo provides birds with the food that they need (insects, berries, fruits) Wilson s Warbler

16 Birds Depend on Natural Processes Natural Processes such as fire and flood create habitat structural diversity that birds rely upon. Fire is a part of mixedconifer, oak woodlands, and chaparral habitats. Flood Plain

17 Natural predator-prey relationships Mortality Factors of Open Cup Nests (out of 237 failed nests) 80% 70% % nests 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% % Predation Abandoned no contents Desertion w ith eggs or young Cow bird activity Weather

18 Natural predator-prey relationships Proximity to human settlements can increase the likelihood of predation or parasitism. Pet food dishes, bird feeders, trash, and uncovered compost create unnatural feeding sites for predators. Brown-headed Cowbird Scrub Jay Nest that was preyed upon

19 How to Create Bird-Friendly Habitat Plant native plants when landscaping, mimic the surrounding natural areas and open spaces. Obtain plants from your local Native Plant Society or Plant Oregon! California Quail Leave brush piles of pruning debris through the winter to provide cover for birds such as California Quail, Goldencrowned Sparrows, Fox Sparrow,and other sparrows.

20 How to Create Bird-Friendly Habitat Provide Structural Diversity Multiple plant species in mixed clumps occupying all levels. Manzanita Current Manzanita Herbs Shrubs Trees Mountain Mahogany Madrone White Oak

21 How to Create Bird-Friendly Habitat Leave dead trees or dead limbs for cavity nesting species such as woodpeckers, bluebirds, nuthatches, and titmice. Line pastures and driveways with native trees, shrubs and grasses to create habitat for birds and other wildlife.

22 How to Create Bird-Friendly Habitat Limit Disturbance! Avoid disturbing nesting birds during the breeding season (April - July). Limit restoration, mowing, spraying, disking, and brush clearing to the non-breeding season. If you must mow, begin mowing in early April to prevent the establishment of nesting habitat. Western Wood-pewee

23 How to Create Bird-Friendly Habitat Reduce Predators! Keep cats indoors! Cats kill millions of birds a day in this country alone. (American Bird Conservancy, Don t leave pet food dishes outdoors, these will attract stray cats and other predators Keep garbage and compost in closed containers Make sure your bird feeder isn t feeding jays, House Sparrows and other nest predators Domestic cat with songbird

24 How to Create Bird-Friendly Habitat Reduce non-native competitors! Discourage non-native bad birds, such as European Starlings and House Sparrows. Do not re-habilitate injured House Sparrows or Starlings. House Sparrow European Starling

25 How to Create Bird-Friendly Habitat Remember, when creating bird habitat, look at your yard from the birds eye view- not the Better Homes and Garden perspective. Habitat Landscaping for Birds

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