Ten Ways to Landscape for Songbirds

By Stephen Kress

Diane L. Tessaglia-Hymes and iStockPhoto (leaves and grass)

1. CREATE A SONGBIRD BORDER along a property edge by planting native trees and shrubs that meet the needs of birds throughout the year. Plant several of each species adjacent to each other, with the tallest planted at the edges of the property, and shorter species tiered toward the home or building. Include at least one species of thorny tree, such as hawthorn or raspberry, for nesting. Also include evergreens, such as spruce, holly, or juniper, for cover. Plant berry-producing shrubs—such as dogwood, serviceberry, and viburnum—that will provide fruit throughout the seasons.

2. PLANT LONG-LIVED NATIVE TREES like oaks and maples, where space permits. Such trees can provide food, shelter, and singing perches for birds for centuries to come.

3. CREATE A BRUSH PILE. Each time a storm drops limbs, heap them up. During spring clean-up, save those downed branches and tree trunks from the community wood chipper. Layer the larger logs as a foundation, then build up the pile in successive layers. Songbirds will find shelter from extreme weather in such cover throughout the year.

4. RAKE LEAVES UNDER SHRUBS to create mulch and natural feeding areas for ground-feeding birds such as sparrows, towhees, and thrashers. Earthworms, pill bugs, insects, and spiders will thrive in the decomposing leaf mulch, and will in turn be readily eaten by many songbirds.

5. REMOVE INVASIVE PLANTS from your property. Learn which species are native and which are not. Most invasive species hail from other continents. Because they have no natural predators here, they often form monocultures and crowd out native species. In contrast, native trees, shrubs, vines, and ground covers typically provide a mix of foods that ripen just in time for migrating birds, and offer better nesting sites.

6. REDUCE YOUR LAWN BY AT LEAST 25 PERCENT to favor meadow plants and taller grasses. Tall grasses provide seeds and nesting places for birds. Cut this meadow just once each year and let the remainder of the lawn grow 3 to 4 inches tall before cutting. Avoid lawn pesticides and wasteful sprinklers.

7. CLEAN OUT OLD BIRD AND MOUSE NESTS from nest boxes in early spring. When setting out new nest boxes, consider the preferred habitat for different species, as well as the size of the entrance hole and its distance above the ground. For more information, visit <www.birds.cornell.edu/birdhouse>.

8. CREATE A BATHING AND DRINKING POOL FOR BIRDS by setting out a shallow birdbath or upside-down garbage can lid. If there are cats in the area, be sure to place the pool on a pedestal. Clean it frequently with a stiff brush to prevent algae growth, and replace the water every few days to eliminate mosquito larvae. For greater success, add a dripping device.

9. CLEAN TUBE FEEDERS with a bottle brush and a 10 percent solution of non-chlorine bleach solution. Rinse thoroughly and dry in the sun before refilling. Rake up soggy seed from under feeders that could grow deadly mold. Move feeders within three feet of a window to avoid window strikes. At such close distances, birds are less likely to gather lethal momentum when startled. The birds will be safer and you'll get a better view!

10. KEEP CATS INDOORS for the safety of both birds and cats. Pet and stray cats kill hundreds of millions of birds in the United States each year—especially in the spring when young songbirds are fledging, often on or near the ground. And cats themselves are safer from collisions with cars, predators, diseases, and parasites when kept indoors.

Stephen Kress is author of The Audubon Society Guide to Attracting Birds. He is the instructor for the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Spring Field Ornithology Course and is Audubon's Vice President for Bird Conservation.

For permission to reprint all or part of this article, please contact Laura Erickson, editor, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 159 Sapsucker Woods Rd., Ithaca, NY, 14850. Phone: (607) 254-1114. email: lle24@cornell.edu