Backyard Bird Habitats

Lesson 3: Developing a Backyard Habitat Action Plan

Sample Backyard Habitat Action Plan

Sample Backyard Habitat Action Plan

1. What Kinds of Birds Would I Like to Attract?

goldfinches, chickadees, woodpeckers, cardinals, hummingbirds (migratory)

2. What Have I Learned About These Birds?

Goldfinches like to eat thistle seed, sunflower seeds, dandelions and lettuce. They like to nest in bushes or trees.

Black-capped Chickadees like to eat sunflower seeds, fruit, small insects and suet. They are attracted to birdhouses, cavities in rotted trees and old woodpecker holes for nesting. I also learned that when disturbed, a chickadee incubating eggs may hiss like a snake!

Downy Woodpeckers like sunflower seeds, insects and spiders, suet, fruit and tree seeds. They are attracted to cavities in dead trees for nesting. They make a horse-like whinnying call!

Cardinals like to eat fruit seeds, insects, sunflower seeds and are attracted to magnolias, dogwoods, lantana (also a butterfly favorite) and hollies.

Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds (about 3 ¾” long, their wings beat up to 80 times per second) like nectar from flowers (bleeding heart and petunias, for example), sugar water, insects and spiders. They often squeal when they chase each other.

3. What Does My Backyard Have Now for Food Sources?

large oak, maple and pine trees wild blueberry bushes in forest some dead trees and logs raised garden, mostly vegetables one sunflower seed feeder plenty of dandelions in the lawn

4. What Does My Backyard Have Now for Shelter?

large oak, maple and pine trees brushy undergrowth in forest some dead trees and logs one birdhouse not visible from house one 10 feet x 3 feet “wild” area at the back of the house

5. What Does My Backyard Have Now for Water Sources?

concrete birdbath with oak and maple trees overhanging

6. What Food Source(s) Will be Added to Attract the Birds?

add sunflower plants to vegetable garden to attract goldfinches, cardinals, chickadees, woodpeckers add a thistle feeder near birdbath to attract goldfinches apply suet (Crisco) to tree near sunflower seed feeder to attract chickadees and woodpeckers add a sugar water feeder outside window over kitchen sink to attract hummingbirds 7. What Shelter Will be Added to Attract the Birds?

create a small shade garden underneath birdbath: bleeding heart, lily-of-the-valley, hostas plant two evergreens near the birdbath to achieve layers add two birdhouses to large trees near birdbath add two birdhouses to large trees near raised garden

8. What Water Sources Will be Added to Attract the Birds?

place a shallow (1” deep) concrete bowl on ground on edge of raised vegetable garden

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