Tips For Bird-Friendly Living

There are many things that we can do to help save and protect birds. The simple things we do every day are all important factors in bird conservation. Here are some steps that anyone can take to live cleaner, greener, and more bird-friendly:

Plan Your Yard for Diversity:
Have a mix of grass, flower, shrub, and tree species that are the same as the natural habitats near where you live. Use native species when possible because birds know these the best, and these are best-suited for where you live.

Allow Part of Your Yard to Become a Little Scruffy:
Birds need overgrown grass, weeds, brush piles, and dead wood. When you realize the benefit to birds and other wildlife, you too can learn to appreciate a little wildness.

Hang Feeders Properly:
Window collisions kill many birds. When something frightens a bird at a feeder, the bird will take off quickly and may crash into a window, injuring or killing itself. Place a feeder directly on a window or far enough away from a window to give the birds plenty of room to manoeuver when flying into or out of the feeder. Put a large black hawk silhouette or tape on the outside of the windows that birds may fly into.

Provide Birds With Food, Water and Shelter:
Birds love the water, and a bird bath can often attract birds that wouldn't normally visit your feeder. You can use an upside down garbage can lid or any shallow container to create a bird bath. Place the lid on a pedestal or a stump. Fill it with water, not more than 5 cm (2") deep and make sure the water is changed daily to keep it clean and prevent breeding mosquitos. Water dripping into a bird bath will attract more birds. If possible, suspend a can of water with a small hole in the bottom, from a branch above the bird bath so water can drip into the bath.

Birds also like to bathe in dust (dried fine earth) to get clean. It is believed that this helps them get rid of mites and lice and it increases the insulation value of their feathers. Create a pile of dust in a wooden frame in a corner of your garden or leave a pile of dried earth near a garden.

You can create a nesting material bag by filling a net bag (not plastic) with natural items such as wool, dog hair, hay, straw, short bits of yarn (less that 15 cm - 6" long). Pull things out through the netting. Hang the bag from a shrub. Birds will take things and use them when making a nest.

If you plan to make a bird house, make sure that it is built properly. Make nesting boxes of wood and leave them natural. Make sure you have the proper size entrance hole for the species that you want to attract. Do not put a perch on a bird house. It gives predators something to land on and it also causes problems for birds trying to exit. Build the house with a hinged back or top so it can be opened and easily cleaned. It is very important to properly clean out nest boxes after the birds have left as parasites that harm young birds can live there over the winter. Remember to use rubber gloves!

Be Careful About Your Use of Pesticides:
Not only can pesticides be toxic to birds, but they kill the insects that birds use for food. Pull up weeds by hand instead of spraying. Weeding is good exercise for you and is good for the environment, too.

Pick Up Litter:
Plastic six pack yokes, fishing line discarded along waterways, pop can flip tops and bits of plastic foam have all caused the death of birds. Every individual can do something about litter. Never litter and help pick up litter you find.

Please Keep Your Cat Indoors!
Even well-fed, vaccinated cats kill birds. It is a cat's nature to catch birds, and bells on a cat's collar do not stop a cat from catching birds. Keep cats inside, and not only will the birds be safer, your cat will be healthier and safer, too. For more information on making your outdoor cat a safe and happy indoor cat, check out www.abcbirds.org/cats/catsindoors.htm and read about the Cats Indoors! campaign.

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