And lest you raise your hands in horror, we’re not talking about sacrificing baby monarch butterflies to the birds, Rowden said. Many native plants are magnets for pollinators such as butterflies and moths (the critters that bring us caterpillars). Yes, SoCal birds love a good oak or Western sycamore, but they also get lots of nourishment and support from native shrubs, perennials and annuals, because they attract insects, provide nectar and produce seeds, said Rowden. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife listed tips for cleaning feeders and bird baths monthly with soap, water and diluted bleach, but overall, wildlife experts say the best course of action is to find natural ways to attract birds.Īnd we’re not just talking trees here. “Most birds die within 24 hours of infection,” the California Department of Fish and Wildlife agency reported on Feb. Sure, it’s fun to see birds swarming on the feeders outside our windows, but birds tend to poop where they eat, and when they congregate it spreads the salmonella bacteria. Hummingbirds, butterflies, bees and other pollinators are happy to dine on native plants growing on balconies or patios. The new wave in landscaping is building habitat by growing native plants, but you don’t need a yard to promote biodiversity. Help save the world by growing native plants in pots “And caterpillars provide incredibly good packages of fat and proteins to help those babies thrive.”īird feeders can help supplement food for adults, but wildlife officials in California, Oregon, Washington, Utah and Idaho have gotten so many reports of sick and dead finches this year, especially the songbirds known as pine siskins, that they issued alerts warning people to take down their feeders, at least temporarily, to stop the spread of salmonellosis, Smithsonian Magazine reported last month. “The vast majority of birds feed insects to their babies, independent of what they eat as adults,” Rowden said. We’ve gotten so feeder-focused that it’s easy to forget that insects - especially caterpillars - are a critical food for bird survival. Our cars may be cleaner, but it means our birds have dwindling access to food. Then ask your parents what it was like a few decades ago, when a drive through the country left cars bristling with dead bugs. Think about how few insects you find on your windshield and grill these days. We’re talking about the future of our bird communities here, because the threat to their survival is high.īirds have evolved to eat the seeds and insects native to the areas where they live, but farms, herbicides and urban development have destroyed many of those native plants, along with the insects that feed off them, causing ripples up the food chain. And please note, this is much more than a landscaping tip.
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