Please send your
question regarding habitat development and
gardening for birds to gardening@birdzilla.com.
We'll answer as many as we can and post selected
answers here.
Q.
Wildlife doesn't just randomly occur in a given
area; it is there in response to habitat which
meets its needs. What are the four essential
elements of a wildlife habitat, including for
birds? DF -
Atlanta, GA
A. Food,
water, cover (protection from weather and
predators) and space to raise a family.
Tom
Patrick is president of the
Windstar
Wildlife
Institute.
Tom's company provides training and
certification in wildlife habitat
development programs. Thanks to Tom and
some of his Certified Wildlife Habitat
Naturalists for answering the
questions.
Q.
Feeders are used to supplement the foods provided
by trees, shrubs, flowers, crops in food plots,
vines and ground covers. What are the different
types of feeders? TR - LA,
CA.
A. Cylindrical,
hopper, suet, hummingbird, squirrel and
fruit.
Wyoming Plants
for Wildlife Habitat & Conservation Landscaping
Do you enjoy observing nature...hearing the song of the
chickadee...watching hummingbirds fill up on nectar from trumpet
vines...listening to the chattering of squirrels...seeing the beauty
and grace of a monarch butterfly perched on a milkweed...
experiencing the antics of a Mockingbird...the cooing of the
Mourning Doves...the swiftness of the Cottontail...and the brilliance
of a Cardinal or jay?
If the answer is "yes", you'll probably want to landscape your
property for wildlife so you can experience even more from
Mother Nature by attracting more wildlife to your property.
Wildlife doesn't just randomly appear in a given area. It is there
because of favorable habitat. The essential elements that you must
provide in your habitat are food, water, cover and a place to raise a
family. To attract the most wildlife, you need native trees, shrubs,
groundcover, vines and wildflowers, many of which will provide
food and shelter.
Native or indigenous plants naturally occur in the region in which
they evolved. They are adapted to local soil, rainfall and
temperature conditions, and have developed natural defenses to
many insects and diseases. Because of these traits, native plants will
grow with minimal use of water, fertilizers and pesticides. Wildlife
species evolve with plants; therefore, they use native plant
communities as their habitat. Using native plants helps preserve
the balance and beauty of natural ecosystems.
Remember the function served by plants and structures is more
important than their appearance. In other words, don't base your
planting decisions solely on what a plant looks like. Following are
WindStar Wildlife Institute's plant recommendations for wildlife
habitats in Wyoming:
Trees
River Birch; Eastern Hemlock; Eastern White, Jack and Virginia Pine; Eastern Red and Northern White Cedar;
Bald Cypress; Green and White Ash; American Beech; Blackgum; Black Cherry; Shellbark and Shagbark Hickory; Hackberry; Black, Bur, Chinquapin, Pin, Red, Scarlet, Swamp Chestnut, Swamp White and White Oak; Pecan; Persimmon; American Sweetgum; American Sycamore; Tuliptree; and Black Walnut.
Shrubs
Serviceberry, Elderberry, Blackhaw; Floweing, Rough Leaved, Gray, Red-osier and Silky Dogwood; Chokecherry, Nannyberry, Redbud, Shining, Smooth and Staghorn Sumac; Arrowwood; buttonbush; Black Chokeberry; Hazelnut; Ninebark; Wild Plum; Spicebush; and Winterberry
Grasses
Big and Little Bluestem; Indiangrass; Switchgrass; Hairy Dropseed; Sideouts Grama; Tufted Hairgrass; Woodrush; Indian Ricegrass
The Wyoming Native Plant Society can provide lists of plants for a specific region.
For more
information on improving your wildlife habitat,
visit the WindStar
Wildlife Institute web
site. On
the web site, you can also apply to certify your
property as a wildlife habitat, register for the
"Certified Wildlife Habitat Naturalist e-Learning
course, become a member and sign up for the FREE
WindStar Wildlife Garden Weekly e-mail
newsletter.
