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The growth of the suburbs and urbanized areas and the proliferation of real estate developments have increasingly shrunk the supply of bird habitats around the world. You don’t have to travel far to see this firsthand, just take a drive around your city or town and its environs. Increasingly, birds seek shelter, food, water and a place to raise their families. They don’t need a forest, their habitat can be anywhere. You can even create a welcoming place for birds in your own back yard. Here are a few steps you can take to attract and keep birds and provide and educational and inspirational experience for the whole family.
1. Feed the birds. Hang bird feeders around your yard. Different birds eat different foods—be sure to provide a variety. Hummingbirds are attracted to sugar water; nuthatches and woodpeckers like suet; bluebirds like mealworms and orioles like oranges. Check a “bird” book to find out what foods attract the kinds of birds you want to welcome to your back yard sanctuary.
2. Birds need calcium to form their eggshells and feed their babies. To help them out, place egg shells in your yard. Remember first to wash them, bake them in an oven for 25-30 minutes at 250 degrees and then scatter them in small pieces in an open area of your yard safe from predators.
3. Water is an attraction to birds. It is said that birds can hear the sound of running water from a mile away. Providing water for birds can be simple as adding a birdbath to your yard or installing a water feature, such as a pond.
4. Birds need cover for nesting, to escape from harsh weather and to hide from predators. Birds use small branches and twigs to build their nests. If you have dense shrubbery or pine trees in your yard—you have cover. If you want to add or enhance this, leave dead tree limbs or old hollow trees where they stand. Put your dead Christmas tree outside in the winter; it will provide shelter for birds. When planning your garden in the spring, think about the birds and look for shrubs that will help them with their nesting needs.
Provide these elements and watch the birds arrive. You will be surprised at the variety in your own region. Bird watching is addictive. Keep a reference book handy and make a list of your “sightings”. The entire family can enjoy this activity.
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