by Ralph Jarvis

It was likely a brief sighting of a ruby-throated hummingbird in their garden when I was a child that began my passion for all things avian. Later, as a more mature and knowledgeable birder, I realized how unique the encounter had been. Ruby-throats are considered very rare on the Island and I have not seen one here since that day in Nan and Da’s garden.

By the time I inherited the garden four years ago, the landscape contained mature trees and a variety of ornamental shrubs. By then, my childhood passion for birding had turned into a career as an environmental educator, and it was also competing with another growing interest, gardening. My organic wildlife garden became a focus of these consuming passions. Much of the time once spent far afield squinting through a spotting scope was now devoted to designing a garden habitat attractive to native birds – and possibly a vagrant hummingbird or two! The cottage-style garden now regularly attracts many birds which come to feed, rest or nest. Every year a new visitor or two will show up; last summer brought a resident pair of black and white warblers for a time.

You may not want to totally reinvent your garden as an invitation to birds, but some minor considerations can make elements of your landscape a safe haven for the occasional feathered visitor. Throughout our country, human development often encroaches on natural communities. Landscaping for birds and other wildlife is one way we can slow or recover some of this disappearing habitat.

An important first step is determining what birds are native to your area. Local natural history and wilderness clubs, wildlife agencies and nature parks may be able to provide you with a regional or provincial checklist of birds. Essential for bird identification is a good field guide; most include tips on bird identification and reasonably accurate distribution maps.

Secondly, an understanding of habitat is crucial to developing a landscape for birds. Most species have specific habitat needs. In a small space, it is difficult to recreate the suitable arrangement of food, water, shelter and space needed to attract a wide variety of species. That said, there are a surprising number that will flock to a backyard haven if their basic needs are met. Luckily for gardeners, plants are essential sources of food and shelter (or cover) for birds and are therefore key elements in any backyard habitat. Some birds will prefer to feed or nest on the ground, some in shrubs and thickets and others still higher in the trees. The greater the diversity, the more likely you are to have cover from predators, nesting areas and the year-round food supply birds desire.

Creating this diversity is difficult even in larger gardens. In smaller gardens (and gardens containing a harvest of small fruit you may not want to share with birds), winter food plants should take priority. Birds will appreciate your efforts when the natural supplies of fruits, seeds and berries are depleted. Three good winter food selections are rugosa roses, high bush cranberry and sumacs. Many evergreens package their seeds in cones which protect them into the winter, keeping them available for seed eaters such as grosbeaks, redpolls and chickadees at a time when food can be scarce.

In larger gardens and landscapes, summer- and fall-fruiting trees such as flowering crabapple, mountain ash, serviceberry and dogwood can be included for their food value. Evergreens and shrub thickets can provide nesting areas and protective shelters, especially in northern areas. Plantings that provide a continuous supply of food, shelter from weather and predators, and nesting areas are likely to be inhabited by birds during the entire year. For instance, hollies give birds shelter from weather and predators all year, berries in winter and potential nest sites in spring. In my garden, several large larches are frequented throughout the year by many of the birds such as chickadees that use tiny pointed bills to probe for insects. The plantings of native mountain ash also seem to be favorite year-round feeding locations.

The trees in my garden are, for the most part, transplanted natives. Unlike many non-native ornamentals, they bear fruit or attract insects palatable to local birds. The large trees on my property are placed in loose L-shaped groupings. Surrounded by shrubs and flower beds, their irregular shape maximizes the amount of edge areas for birds to inhabit. If your property is large enough, you may want to leave a corner or two to naturalize. The mixture of native colonizing seed-bearing plants that appear can be supplemented with other plants that provide food for birds. Poppies, lupins, dame’s rocket, foxgloves and sunflowers are just a few suggestions. You may find yourself, as I do, competing with the birds for wild strawberries and raspberries. It is important to provide cover for the birds in any open feeding area. In the naturalized area, a tall evergreen shrub will give birds a vantage point from which to watch for predators and provide a protected area to retreat to.

Leave any dead trees that do not pose an insect, disease or safety problem to stand as long as possible. Although they may be at the end of their natural life cycle, "wildlife trees" are a very important habitat for many birds. They harbor insects for food and attract cavity nesters. Watch for signs such as woodpecker holes that these trees are being used. Excavated holes or holes opened by decay may be used by a variety of birds for shelter, nesting and rearing young over time.

Plantings for birds can be supplemented with feeding stations and nest boxes. (I spend considerable time away from my garden, so I do not put out food for the birds. ) There are many good articles and books available on this subject if you are interested. I have supplied birdhouses for cavity nesters like swallows and chickadees and nesting platforms for open nesters such as robins. Check with your local wildlife agency, local library or naturalist’s club before beginning construction. A little research will insure that the dimensions will be appropriate for the species found in your area (and, of them, those you would like to attract). Houses need to be monitored, cleaned and maintained on a regular basis. Remove old nesting debris at the end of the nesting season to discourage insects and parasites. Never disturb the nest while the birds are in residence.

I have had boreal and black-capped chickadees, nuthatches and tree swallows take advantage of birdhouses on my property and it is interesting to note the location of the boxes used by each species. The chickadees and nuthatches nested in boxes placed at the edge of a thickly wooded area while the tree swallows return each year to a box placed high on a pole in an open area. This is similar to where you would expect these species to nest in the wild. Try a variety of locations for your artificial nests. Move any that don’t get used after a few years to a new location.

To provide drinking and bathing water for birds, I use two methods throughout the garden. Large flat rocks with natural depressions will provide a watering area after a rainfall. I also place large terra cotta saucers filled with pebbles in the garden and fill them with water whenever I happen to be passing by with a hose or watering can. Place bird baths in the open so birds have a chance to detect both land-based and air-borne predators, which can include your feline companions. Belling may work, although some cats have been known to hunt birds successfully despite being belled.

Organic gardeners have a head start when it comes to attracting birds to their gardens. Pesticides and herbicides are anathema to a wildlife garden. Birds will feed where insects are plentiful. This may aid a particular plant or area of the garden where an infestation of an insect pest occurs; in many cases, birds will check it before it gets out of hand. Turning the soil in the spring before you plant encourages birds to feed on insect pests such as cutworms. In return, bird feces left behind will help fertilize your garden. Remember that with their rapid metabolism birds produce lots of droppings.

Organic techniques favor the garden’s natural cycles and interactions. It becomes a more complete natural community with ever-widening interactions between its living inhabitants, including birds. No matter how small or imperfect your attempts at attracting birds to your yard may be, they will be appreciated by any birds that accept your invitation. I think of that every time I look at the large patch of bee balm (Monarda didyma ‘Cambridge Scarlet’) I’ve planted in the hopes of attracting a stray mainland hummingbird. Maybe this year...

Ralph Jarvis is Education Curator at Salmonier Nature Park, an environmental education centre operated by the Newfoundland and Labrador Wildlife Division. He is also membership secretary for COG’s new Newfoundland & Labrador Chapter.

Further Reading:

Landscaping With Nature by Jeff Cox. Rodale Press, 1990.

A Complete Guide to Bird Feeding by John V. Dennis. Alfred A. Knopf, 1975.

The Wildlife Gardener by John V. Dennis. Alfred A. Knopf, 1985.

A Field Guide to Western Birds by Roger Tory Peterson. Houghton Mifflin Co., 1972.