In the fall, as warblers leave the Northeast on their way to warmer places, they will seek out fruit-bearing native plants. Backyards with a diversity of native plants will attract a multitude of native insects, which help feed birds passing through during spring.
At night, after foraging has stopped, that same bird needs a warm place to wait out the cold, and Tarr said conifers provide the best protection on freezing nights and rainy days.ĭuring fall and spring migration, traveling songbirds also require secure stopover sites. Placing feeders close to sources of cover – such as bushy shrubs – helps birds conserve finite energy reserves. After snatching a seed from a feeder, a black-capped chickadee needs a place to safely eat it. Birds require places to efficiently forage during daylight hours, said Tarr. The cover needs of birds also vary by time of day, especially during winter. When left intact over the winter, these same grassy areas can also provide cover and food for pine siskins, common redpolls, and American goldfinches. Short grassy areas will provide places for northern flickers and mourning doves to forage. Other species, such as woodpeckers, titmice, and chickadees, find cover in standing dead trees. In contrast, taller trees shelter Baltimore orioles and rose-breasted grosbeaks. “One of the best ways to help birds is to have cover at each level,” said Matt Tarr, a wildlife specialist with the University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension.ĭuring the spring and summer breeding and young-rearing season, gray catbirds and northern cardinals forage and nest at the shrub level.
Birds find safety among various different plant layers, and an array of vegetation types will likely attract a diversity of bird species. Non-native plants, which monopolize many gardens and yards, may also provide some level of protection. While specific requirements vary by species, all birds are dependent on the trees and shrubs native to the area in which they live. Offering natural sources of cover can help birds evade predators and find protection from inclement weather, as well as provide shelter during migration. Whether they are roosting, feeding, selecting a nest location, or flying from one grove of trees to another, birds rely on vegetative cover, from the ground level to the treetops. Birds need more than a supplemental food source, however. Come winter, after the bears have retreated to their cold weather dens, many backyard bird enthusiasts hang feeders to attract – and nourish – avian visitors.
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