American Redstart in our Cockspur Hawthorne
A recent study published by Cornell Lab and others indicates that in the last 40 years, North America has lost 3 billion birds. While efforts to protect waterfowl and birds of prey like Bald Eagles have been successful in bringing species back from the brink; songbirds, neotropical migrants and grassland birds are now in decline.
A variety of challenges plague these birds. Habitat loss, climate change, declining insect populations, and modern construction are just some of the causes of species declines.
When we think of backyard birds, we often think of Cardinals, Chickadees, and Blue Jays. Feeder birds. It's important to be aware that most birds are not feeder birds. Insects are the primary food source for many birds. That's part of why they migrate.
Migratory birds move north with the specific aim and intention to take advantage of booming insect populations as spring and summer warmth spreads north. Even for non migratory birds, insects are an incredibly important source of protein for birds like Woodpeckers and Chickadees. Warblers, thrushes, swallows depend on the availability of insects as a food source both as they make pit stops on their way to their nesting grounds but also when they arrive.
Climate change makes timing these arrivals tricky or can make the the availability of food unpredictable. Birds arriving in Northeastern Canada in the summer of 2019 met unusually cool temperatures and wet weather which persisted long enough to cause declines in the inspect populations. Warbler populations took the brunt of the problems and birds died of starvation after reaching their summer home.
As discussed in the previous post, insect populations have also declined. Pesticides and the lack of the necessary plants have hurt insect populations. Insects are just about the bottom of the food chain. Without the insects, there can be no birds. The bugs need to be there when the birds arrive so they can survive and successfully nest.
Assuming the landscape is full of shelter and food when they arrive, the journey itself is perilous and has become more so. Light pollution can confuse migrating birds which often migrate at night to be safe from predators. There are a number of videos showing clouds of birds being attracted to the 9/11 spotlights as an extreme example when generally light pollution is the problem. Glass also poses a significant risk to birds; they simply don't see it or understand it. Reflections of sky or trees look to a bird like a great place to fly. With their hollow bones and slight frames which allow flight, striking a window or building is typically fatal.
The other major challenge is habitat loss, in particular grassland birds. Prairie Chickens, Sage Grouse, Meadowlarks, and many others require acres of open grassland. Not cultivated land, not neighborhoods, but prairies and sagebrush.
Again many of theses problems are caused by human behavior, and we are empowered to make changes that can bring birds back. Let's start with food. You can feed birds. Traditionally people feed birds seed. Seed rich in oils like Black Oil Sunflower are particularly good choices. Seeds acts as a good way for a host of birds to top off their tanks and can be a real lifesaver in the winter. At this point, we typically hope to have 15 different species of bird in our yard between January and March. Most of which are feeder birds looking for something to eat in the winter snow.
Baltimore Oriole and Orchard Oriole squabble at our orange and jelly feeder.
You can also feed non-traditional foods like oranges and grape jelly for Baltimore Orioles, Orchard Orioles, and Gray Catbirds. Meal worms and suet can also be good ways to provide protein at your feeders. But the best meal you can provide for birds in your yard is gardening.
Gardening tips for birds:
1) Avoid pesticides, let the birds eat bugs
2) Plant native plants which provide food like berries, nuts, and seeds. (Serviceberry, Dogwood, Hawthornes, Chokeberries, Viburnums, Oaks, Beeches, Coneflower and Black Eyed Susan)
3) Nectar Plants for Hummingbirds (Columbine, Cardinal Flower, and Delphinium)
Beyond food, songbirds also need shelter. As neighborhoods displace grasslands and woodlots, the birds need somewhere to rest during migration and somewhere to nest. Turf grass again fails here. Trees and woody shrubs are excellent for shelter in your yard and otherwise we need to defend and preserve our wild spaces.
Here are some tips for providing shelter in your yard:
1) Plant in layers. Tall trees (Oak, Maple), understory trees (Serviceberry, Redbud), lower shrubs (Dogwoods, viburnums)
2) Plant prickly things (Hawthornes, Pines, Junipers, Spruce, Cedar)
3) Add birdhouses to your landscaping
You can even protect birds from urbanization. Adding UV light reflective stickers to windows can help birds see the glass in their path. Some companies now also make bird friendly glass which can be used on homes or applied in larger scale to help make bird friendly buildings like the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee. Cities are also finding ways to monitor lights during migration, including spotters assigned to the 9/11 memorial lights who shut them down when birds are drawn in.
Baby bluebirds in our nestbox, two years ago I think.
Birds are really great because there are a lot of things we can do to help them, and many of the things we can do to help them also benefit other species. Since 2012, we have tracked the number of different bird species we see in our lawn as we've continued to plant more trees, shrubs, flowers, and place bird houses on our quarter acre lot. In 2012, we observed 31 different species of bird. In 2018, we observed 62 different species and so far in 2019, 57. We've nearly doubled the types of birds which move through the yard. We now expect to have birds like House Wrens, Black Capped Chickadees, Eastern Bluebirds, and American Robins successfully nest in our yard every year. If this is what one lawn can do, imagine what a neighborhood or a city could do? The power is yours!
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