Why does an acorn woodpecker drill a hole into a tree and stuff an acorn into it? Obviously, to store food. Not so obviously, the food the woodpecker will come back to eat is the insects that were attracted to the rotting acorn.
Toby Goldberg of the Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society, who spoke on bird gardening along with Arvind Kumar of the California Native Plant Society, shared this fact at a summer meeting of the Gardening with Natives group.
In a nutshell, birds are attracted to a garden not only by the plants, but by the insects the plants attract. The best plant choices are always natives, Goldberg said, because the native birds, insects, and plants evolved together.
You can appeal to different birds by your choice of plants. Finches, juncoes, and other seed eaters love wildflowers and thistles. Toyon and coffeeberry can attract berry eaters such as robins and cedar waxwings. Hummingbirds and orioles enjoy the nectar of tubular flowers such as California fuchsia, fuchsia-flowered gooseberry, and hummingbird sage.
Variety is the key to a healthy, balanced, resilient ecosystem, Goldberg said. Every backyard that helps the ecosystem can help it bounce back from drought and other adversities, she said.
Many native plants support insect-eating birds. In a garden where pesticides are not used, birds can keep insects under control. A single coast live oak can support 200 to 300 species of insects, and even annual wildflowers support some insects. Chickadees and white-breasted nuthatches pull insects out of crevices in the bark. Bushtits eat aphids and other plant-eating insects. Wrens eat caterpillars. California towhees kick leaf litter to find earwigs, grubs, and beetles. Black phoebes catch mosquitoes, moths, and other flying insects.
A plant not munched is not doing its job, Kumar said, and added that he has learned to love aphids. The goal of a wildlife garden is to value all forms of life. You want to attract insects as well as birds, so you need to tolerate some damage as well as messiness, such as leaf mulch and seedheads. Birds enjoy foraging in leaf litter and brush piles. In fact, Goldberg said, a healthy brush pile keeps the moisture in the soil and deters fire.
Besides food, birds also need water, shelter, and a safe habitat.
The sound of running water lures birds, Goldberg said. In a small garden, solar-powered moving water can attract frogs and bees as well as hummingbirds. If you have a birdbath, keep it clean and change the water regularly.
Birds need shelter to hide from predators, stay cool in the heat of the day, build nests, and feed safely. Plant shrubs, trees, and perennials to provide a variety of levels and densities. Keep seed plants far enough from a window or fence so birds can get to safety if they're startled while feeding.
A safe habitat protects birds from window strikes, predators, and traffic. Multipane windows are safe, as are windows with closed curtains or blinds. For large clear expanses of glass, use decals. Spider-web decals are unobtrusive and very effective, Goldberg said, because birds will do anything to avoid flying into spider webs. It's very hard to get spider silk off feathers, she said.
© 2010 Tanya Kucak