In this post, Lauren offers 6 tips on how you can design a bird-friendly garden right in your own backyard.
Living with Wildlife
Whether you want to attract birds to your backyard or deter wild animals from eating your crops, learning how to live with wildlife can be a challenge.
House Sparrows can be found on every continent except Antarctica. They aggressively take over the nests of swallows and bluebirds. Photo: Lip Kee CC BY-SA 2.0
Wildlife Habitats
Various habitats are attractive to different kinds of wildlife. No matter what you plan to do with your property, an understanding of your habitats’ characteristics will help you manage the landscape appropriately. In Benton County, your property is likely to contain one or more of the following habitats.
high school students preparing to plant natives
Creating Wildlife Habitat
No matter what habitats exist on your property, you can encourage wildlife to visit by providing these three basic requirements:
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Food
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Water
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Shelter
Pollinators
A surprising range of insects and birds pollinate crops and native plants. Pollinators in the Willamette Valley include hummingbirds, bees, beetles, butterflies, and other insects. These busy neighbors provide a very important service. Over 75% of all flowering plants depend on animal pollinators. The list includes native plants as well as over 100 crops.
Birds
The resources on this page focus on all the ways we can support birds. Our informative brochures and bird-friendly landscape designs will help you give birds the four basic things they need:
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Water
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Cover
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Nest Sites
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Food
Related Blog Posts
Heath Keirstead | June 3, 2021
If you have nest boxes for swallows or bluebirds, you may have house sparrows too. House Sparrows are considered by many a pest because of their aggressive nesting behavior. Learn what you can do.
Lauren Pharr | April 28, 2021
In my blog post The Native Link: The Importance of Native Plants to Birds, I describe the importance of native plants to the ecosystem, and more specifically, how birds benefit from native plants. But what exactly is the problem with nonnative, and more specifically invasive, plants and how do they affect birds and the ecosystem
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