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3/7/2015
1
© Project SOUND
Out of the Wilds and Into Your Garden
Gardening with California Native Plants in Western L.A. County Project SOUND – 2015 (our 11th year)
© Project SOUND
A Bounty of Birds: common garden birds & how to
attract them
C.M. Vadheim and T. Drake
CSUDH & Madrona Marsh Preserve
Madrona Marsh Preserve
March 7 & 12, 2015
Migrants are a treat
Black-headed grosbeaks (related to the Cardinal) stops by local feeders during fall or spring migration
© Project SOUND
Black-headed Grosbeak
We’re not going to talk about hummingbirds today
See previous hummingbird gardening talks
August, 2014
May, 2009
© Project SOUND
Click on the ‘Out of the Wilds’ page
on Mother Nature’s Backyard Blog
for all lectures back to 2009
3/7/2015
2
But we are going to talk about some other
common garden birds in the South Bay
Who they are; what they look like
When you can expect to see them
Behavioral characteristics
What they eat; niches
Where they nest
Simple things you can do to attract them to your garden
© Project SOUND
2015: Sustainable Living with California Native Plants
© Project SOUND
Ecosystem: a community of living organisms (plants, animals and microbes) in conjunction with the nonliving components of their environment (things like air, water and mineral soil), interacting as a system.
© Project SOUND
Your garden is a
little ecosystem
What we are trying to achieve: a healthy
garden ecosystem
© Project SOUND
How bird-friendly is your garden ecosystem?
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
How do the common birds rate your garden as habitat?
3/7/2015
3
© Project SOUND
To attract birds we need to understand
their habits & preferences
© Project SOUND
Like butterflies, some birds are ‘picky eaters’
Generalists
Eat many different kinds of food – whatever is available
Well-adapted to different – and changing – environments
Often are common in urban & suburban yards – that’s why many people know them by name
Examples: Crows, Scrub Jays, Robins
http://www.uoguelph.ca/arboretum/WildlifeSightings/WildlifesightNovember06.htm
© Project SOUND
Like butterflies, some birds are ‘picky eaters’
Specialists
Eat selected kinds of foods – at least primarily
Raptors – meat-eaters Insect-eaters Fruit-eaters Seed-eaters
Often very well adapted to a specific environment – have ‘developed together over time’
Often are less common in urban & suburban yards
Examples: Lesser Gold Finch, CA Towhee, Orioles, Tanagers
http://www.calacademy.org/teachers/lounge/?p=624
CA Towhee
Audubon’s Warbler
http://thebirdguide.com/washington/BigDayReport2007.htm
Passerine birds: Order Passeriformes
AKA the ‘perching birds
Over ½ of bird species are in this Order
At least 50 million years old
Have feet specialized for perching: Three toes facing front; one toe
facing back
A tendon from the rear of the leg to the toes automatically causes the foot to curl and become stiff when the bird lands on a branch.
This also enables passerines to sleep while perching without falling off.
© Project SOUND
Most have 12 tail feathers which
help balance when perched
http://www.birdsofseabrookisland.org/images/norton-pics/topo-x.jpg
3/7/2015
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The Finches – Family Fringillidae
Passerine birds – ‘perching birds’
Mostly from Northern Hemisphere
Mostly seed-eating songbirds – often also eat some insects & berries
Most exhibit sexual dimorphism; breeding males may be brightly colored
© Project SOUND © Project SOUND
Form follows function
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b4/BirdBeaksA.svg/220px-BirdBeaksA.svg.png
http://www.nps.gov/prsf/naturescience/images/black-phoebe.jpg
http://www.nps.gov/prsf/naturescience/images/crow.jpg
© Project SOUND
SHAPE TYPE ADAPTATION
Cracker Seed eaters like sparrows and finches have
short, thick conical bills for cracking seed.
Shredder Birds of prey like hawks and owls have sharp,
curved bills for tearing meat.
Chisel Woodpeckers have bills that are long and chisel-
like for boring into wood to eat insects.
Probe Hummingbird bills are long and slender for
probing flowers for nectar.
Tweezer Insect eaters like warblers have thin, pointed
bills.
Swiss
Army
Knife
Crows have a multi-purpose bill that allows them
to eat fruit, seeds, insects, fish, and other
animals. http://science.wannajava.net/scienceunits/units/current/01Bird_Feet_and_Beak_Adaptations.pdf © Project SOUND
House finch - Haemorhous
mexicanus
http://www.wilddelight.com/birds/house-finch/
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House finch - Haemorhous mexicanus
Size: moderately-sized finch - 12.5 to 15 cm (4.9 to 5.9 in)
Identifying characteristics: Common on feeders
Adults: Long, square-tipped brown tail
Brown or dull-brown color across the back with some shading into deep gray on the wing feathers.
Breast/belly may be streaked; the flanks usually are.
Adult males: heads, necks and shoulders are reddish.
Song: rapid, cheery warble or a variety of chirps, often ending on a higher note
© Project SOUND
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/30/Carpodacus_mexicanus_-Madison,_Wisconsin,_USA-8.jpg
http://www.nps.gov/prsf/naturescience/images/house-finch.jpg
House finch - Haemorhous mexicanus
Male coloration varies in intensity with the seasons
Coloration is obtained from carotenoid pigments in the berries and fruits in its diet – the birds cannot make these pigments themselves, but convert them to the red pigment Canthaxanthin.
The colors range from pale straw-yellow through bright orange (both rare) to deep, intense red.
Most that we see locally are red to orange-red
© Project SOUND http://www.cod.edu/people/faculty/chenpe/DANADA/
https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2302/2216977106_6fc84a1521.jpg
House finch - Haemorhous mexicanus
Range: Original range: Mexico and SW U.S.
Now most places in U.S.
When in our area: year-round
Habitat: Urban/suburban places
Native range/natural habitats : dry desert, desert grassland, chaparral, oak savannah, streamsides, and open coniferous forests at elevations below 6,000 feet.
Conservation status: common/invasive
© Project SOUND
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_finch#mediaviewer/File:Carpodacus_mexicanus_map_history1.svg
House finches eat seeds & fruits
House Finches eat almost exclusively plant materials, including seeds, buds and fruits.
Wild foods: wild mustard seeds, knotweed, thistle, mulberry, poison oak, cactus, and many other species.
In orchards: cherries, apricots, peaches, pears, plums, strawberries, blackberries, and figs.
At feeders: black oil sunflower (over the larger, striped sunflower seeds), millet, nijer and milo – typical bird seed mixture
© Project SOUND
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_finch#mediaviewer/File:Father_House_finch_feeds_baby.jpg
3/7/2015
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House finches are opportunistic nesters
In nature: Nest in a variety of deciduous
and coniferous trees
On cactus and rock ledges.
In urban settings In or on buildings, using vents,
ledges, rain gutters, street lamps/traffic lights
Also in climbing ivy and hanging planters.
Occasionally use the abandoned nests of other birds.
© Project SOUND
http://blog.naturetastic.com/2014/05/house-finch-carpodacus-mexicanus-nest.html
Goldfinches - the genus Spinus
© Project SOUND
American goldfinch – Spinus (Carduelis) tristus
Size: small - 11–14 cm (4.3–5.5 in) long
Identifying characteristics: short, conical bill on small, head
long wings
short, notched tail
Adult males (spring/summer) bright yellow with black forehead, black wings with white markings, and white patches above & beneath the tail.
Adult females are duller yellow beneath, olive above.
Winter birds are drab, unstreaked brown, with blackish wings and two pale wingbars.
© Project SOUND
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/PHOTO/LARGE/american_goldfinch_glamour12.jpg
http://tgreybirds.com/AmericanGoldfinch26.jpg
Telling the
goldfinches apart
American Goldfinch Slightly larger
Males: black ‘half-cap’
Yellow back
Tail has more white
Pink bill; pinkish legs/feet
Lesser Goldfinch Males: completely black cap
Dull green/gray back
Dark tail
Darker gray beak
© Project SOUND
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_goldfinch#mediaviewer/File:Carduelis-tristis-001.jpg
3/7/2015
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Lesser Goldfinch – Spinus (Carduelis) psaltria
Size: tiny (smallest true finch) - 9 to 12 cm (3.5 to 4.7 in)
Identifying characteristics:
Stubby bill – gray
Long, pointed wings; short, notched tails
Males: bright yellow below with a glossy black
cap and white patches in the wings;
Backs can be glossy black or dull green (particularly on the West Coast).
Black tail with large, white corners.
Females and immatures: Olive backs, dull yellow underparts,
Black wings with two whitish wingbars.
© Project SOUND
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Carduelis_psaltria_fe
male.jpg
Lesser Goldfinch – Spinus psaltria
Range: SW U.S., Mexico to parts of northern S. America
When in our area: year-round if near natural areas – short-distance migration in spring/fall
Habitat:
Open fields, budding treetops, and the brush of open areas and edges.
May concentrate in mountain canyons and desert oases
Fairly common in suburbs.
Conservation status: not rare; may be increasing numbers
© Project SOUND http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Lesser_Goldfinch/id
Lesser goldfinch: primarily eats seeds
Eats mostly small seeds and grains, both in wilds and at bird feeders.
Usually gets seeds that are still on the plant. Its long legs and claws help it easily perch on plants.
Also eat coffeeberry, elderberry, and madrone fruits; buds of cottonwoods, alders, sycamores, willows, and oaks.
Feed in small groups, moving through plants to get to the seeds, buds, flowers or fruits.
Don't nest until mid-to late summer when there are lots of seeds available.
© Project SOUND
Goldfinches: active & gregarious
© Project SOUND
A quick little bird, constantly hovering about and jerking its tail while feeding.
Dipping, bouncy flight like the American Goldfinch.
Gregarious, forming large flocks at feeding sites and watering holes. Sometimes mixed flocks with other songbirds in wild.
Easy to attract with nyjer seed in a feeding sock - to protect Goldfinches from contagious diseases, keep the ground under feeders well-raked.
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Best bets for goldfinches: Sunflowers
Cobwebby thistle – Cirsium occidentales
CA bush sunflower – Encelia californica Bracted gumplant - Grindelia camporum Coastal gumplant - Grindelia hirsutula Sawtooth Goldenbush - Hazardia squarrosa Sneeze plant/Rosilla - Helenium puberulum
Annual sunflower – Helianthus annuus Coast goldenbush - Isocoma menziesii Goldfields – Lasthena spp
Tidytips - Layia platyglossa Goldenrods – Solidago , Euthamia spp.
Hooker’s evening primrose – Oenothera elata ssp. hookeri
© Project SOUND
Annual (Common) Sunflower - Helianthus annuus
Managing annual
sunflowers
Easy to grow
Like well-drained, neutral to slightly alkaline soil
Full sun
Average to little water – don’t over-water
Tall – may require support
Will readily re-seed (if the birds don’t take all the seeds)
Birds are attracted by the flocks in fall…
Bird species include: American Goldfinch
Lesser goldfinch
Dove
Sparrow
And many, many more
Small animals also eat the seeds Ground squirrels
Pocket mice
Many others
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Grow Annual Sunflower from seed
Easy to grow
Little seedlings transplant easily – or plant seed in the ground
Sow seed every three weeks for a succession of flowers throughout the summer
Steve Hurst @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
Consider choosing season-spanning
sunflowers for year-round food
Winter-spring
Encelias – Bush sunflowers
Mulefat
Grindelias - Gumplants
Annual wildflowers: Gold fields
Tidytips
Summer-fall
Annual Sunflowers
Rosilla (Helenium)
Telegraph plant
Goldenrods
Goldenbushes
Coyote bush © Project SOUND
Hutchinsonian
niche
Hutchinsonian niche: an n-dimensional hypervolume of conditions and resources
Fundamental niche: what an organism's niche would be in the absence of competition from other species.
Realized niche: The niche that a species actually inhabits, taking into account interspecific competition
How would you define the niche of the Lesser Goldfinch?
© Project SOUND http://science.kennesaw.edu/~jdirnber/ecology/Lecture/LecComEcol/LecComEcolCom
p/LecCommEcolComp.html © Project SOUND
What every bird needs: the basics
Food
Shelter
Water
http://aquafornia.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/garden-tour-2.jpg
3/7/2015
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But what happens when several bird
species use the same food source?
© Project SOUND
Sometimes they share resources: resource
partitioning
Definition: two species dividing a niche to avoid competition
Spatial partitioning: two competing species use the same resource by occupying different areas or habitats
Example: two species of birds utilizing sunflower seeds
One harvesting seeds from the plants [Goldfinches]
Another foraging the seeds from the ground [Doves]
© Project SOUND
Ways to Create Multiple Niches in the
same Habitat
Temporal: noctural vs. diurnal animals, owls and hawks each feed on rodents but at different times
Spatial: Warbler example, use different spaces within a habitat (even the same tree)
Functional: Extract different resources, woodpeckers eat insects, finches eat nuts
© Project SOUND
http://nre509.wikidot.com/niche-and-resource-utilization
Pigeons & Doves: Order: Columbiformes;
Family: Columbidae
~ 310 species worldwide; most species in SE Asia, Australia
Stout bodies, short necks, and short, slender bills
Feed on seeds, fruits, and plants
Young are called ‘squabs’
Both parents feed squabs with ‘crop milk’
© Project SOUND
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurasian_collared_dove
Eurasian Collared Dove – non-native
species seen in S.California
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Mourning Dove - Zenaida macroura
© Project SOUND
Mourning Dove - Zenaida macroura
Size: medium (12 inches long)
Identifying characteristics: Plump-bodied and long-tailed, with
short, pink legs
Small bill; dark eyes; head looks small in comparison to the body
Delicate brown to buffy-tan overall, with black spots on the wings and black-bordered white tips to the tail feathers.
Well-camouflaged
Call: hoo-HOO-hoo-hoo
Wings make sharp whistling sound when stake off
© Project SOUND
Mourning Dove - Zenaida macroura
Range: central Canada through Central America
When in our area: year-round; migratory in some parts of U.S.
Habitat: Open fields
Backyards with open places and taller cover
Conservation status: Common (the most common game
bird); numbers have declined slightly since 1996 in the West.
High mortality - to 58% a year for adults and 69% for the young.[
© Project SOUND http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/mourning_dove/lifehistory
Mourning Dove: Mostly seed-eaters
Seeds make up 99% of diet
Eat roughly 12 to 20 percent of their body weight per day
Swallow grit (fine gravel or sand) to assist with digestion
Like bigger seeds: lupines, pine nuts, sunflower seeds, cultivated grains, buckwheat and even peanuts, as well as wild grasses, weeds, herbs, and occasionally berries. They sometimes eat snails and insects.
They may act as seed dispersers for certain fruiting plants that they feed upon.
© Project SOUND
3/7/2015
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Observing doves in your yard
Natural feeding/behavior: Forage seeds on the ground (peck
like a chicken) – fill their crop, then fly to safe perch to digest the meal
Males have favorite cooing perches
Will water bathe and dust-bathe
Also sun- or rain-bathe – stretch out wing for minutes at time
At feeders: Will feed at platform feeders
Very cautious; easy to scare
Strong fast flyer - capable of speeds up to 55 mph.
© Project SOUND
Nesting in your yard
Typically nests amid dense foliage on the branch of an evergreen, orchard tree, mesquite, cottonwood, or mature vine.
Also quite commonly nests on the ground, particularly in the West.
May even nest in gutters, eaves, or abandoned equipment.
Both parents incubate and care for the young – up to 6 broods a year (2 squabs per brood)
Tips on building a nesting cone on Cornell Ornithology Labs ‘All About Birds’
© Project SOUND
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mourning_dove
Best bets for Doves
Annual sunflowers, Encelias
Lupines
Buckwheats
Crotons
Euphorbs
Ragweed
Grasses & sedges
Rhamnus
Rhus trilobata
Roosting/nesting cover: coniferous and deciduous trees, brushy thickets, dead snags. Hedgerows and shelterbelts also provide excellent roosting sites for mourning doves.
Fresh surface water in puddles, ponds, or streams
© Project SOUND
Like open feeding areas – bare ground
How does the Dove niche differ from that
of the finches?
© Project SOUND
3/7/2015
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Succulent Lupine - Lupinus succulentis
© Project SOUND
Truncated/Collared Annual Lupine – Lupinus truncatus
© Project SOUND
Truncated Lupine is a small/mid-size lupine
Size:
1-2 ft tall & wide (usually ~ 1 ft)
Growth form: Somewhat conical – kind of like a
pine tree
Foliage: Typical lupine gray-green
Typical lupine leaves – but with trucated leaflets (hence its common name)
Roots: Tap-root; best if seeded in ground
Like all lupines, have symbiotic relationship with nitrogen-fixing bacteria
© Project SOUND
Truncated Lupine –
lovely flowers
Blooms: usually March-April in S. Bay
Flowers: Sparsely distributed on spike
well-above foliage
Color: violet-purple to magenta; becomes darker after pollination
Fragrant
Pollinated usually be larger bees
Seeds: Relatively large; mottled brown
In hairy pods that break apart explosively, flinging the seeds
Eaten by doves, quail
http://www.researchlearningcenter.com/bloom/species/Lupinus_truncatus.htm
3/7/2015
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© Project SOUND
Growing Lupines from seed: a few little
tricks
Lupine seeds have a hard seed coat; something needs to breach it to begin germination process
In nature: Exposure to fire, acidic
soils/water
The home grower: Hot water bath for 12 hours Plant out when a rain is
expected; rainwater completes the ‘miracle’ of initiating germination
http://www.hazmac.biz/040614/040614LupinusHirsutissimus.html
Once established, lupines will
reseed well in most gardens.
However they will only germinate
in ‘favorable’ years.
Reasons to include annual lupines in your
garden
Quick-growing annuals; good fillers
Showy flowers
Fragrant
Reliable – relatively easy to grow
Require little care
Drought tolerant after established
Help improve soil nitrogen
Self-seed
Habitat value: pollinators & seed-eaters
Theodore Payne Garden Tour
© Project SOUND
Sparrows, Towhees & Juncos: Family
Emberizidae
Most forage & nest on the ground.
Most are seed-eaters - have short, thick bills adapted for this diet
Also eat insects and other arthropods at times, and feed them to their young.
They are typically monogamous. Females generally build the nests and incubate the eggs and young, but both parents feed the young.
Many of these birds are small, brown, and streaked, and stay close to cover, making identification challenging.
© Project SOUND
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark-eyed_junco
Slate-colored Junco –
sometimes seen in local
gardens
3/7/2015
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© Project SOUND
Why eat seeds?
Readily available – formerly in large numbers (plants have to produce many seeds to insure reproduction)
Seeds are ‘super food’ – lots of bang for the buck
The bulk of most seeds consist of stored food – needed by the seedling
That stored food is calorie-dense – fats, oils, starches
Both plants & animals can digest that food – animals share lots of basic enzymes with plants
It’s not surprising that many migratory birds eat seeds
http://asweknowit.net/images_edu/DWA%205%20plant%20seed.jpg
House sparrow – Passer domesticus
Native to Europe – can compete with native species
Almost always found where people are
Food sources Bird feeders
Scavenging for crumbs at fast food joints & outdoor restaurants
Seeds (grass & other)
Insects
Prefers to nest in manmade structures
© Project SOUND
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Passer_domesticus#mediaviewer/File:Passer_domesticus_-California,_USA-8.jpg
White-crowned sparrow – Zonotrichia leucophrys
© Project SOUND
White-crowned sparrow – Zonotrichia leucophrys
Size: large for sparrow - 18 cm (7 in) long
Identifying characteristics: Small pale pink/yellow bill and a
long tail.
Pinkish-orange legs, feet
Head can look distinctly peaked or smooth and flat
Adult: Pale-gray and brown
Very bold black-and-white stripes on the head
Juvenile: Head stripes brown rather than
black © Project SOUND
3/7/2015
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White-crowned Sparrow
Range: N. America
When in our area: Winter: Oct-March
Alaskan White-crowned Sparrows migrate about 2,600 miles to winter in S. California.
Habitat: mix of brush with open or grassy ground for foraging. Short grass or open areas adjacent to
woodlands, hedgerows, or brush piles.
Hedgerows, desert scrub, brushy areas, wood edges, and feeders
Usually in small flocks
Conservation status: common but numbers declined by 1/3 from 1966 to 2010.
© Project SOUND
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/white-crowned_sparrow/lifehistory
White-crowned sparrows eat a wide
variety of foods Eat mainly seeds of native plants,
weeds and grasses
Also eat grains such as oats, wheat, barley, and corn and smaller nuts (pine nuts)
Fruit including elderberries and blackberries.
Young ‘greens’ – annual wildflower seedlings, fruit-tree flower buds, young bulb leaves/stalks
In summer (not here) eat considerable numbers of caterpillars, wasps, beetles, and other insects
© Project SOUND
Plenty of opportunity for observation
Natural feeding/behavior: At the edges of brushy habitat,
hopping on the ground or on branches usually below waist level.
Also on open ground but typically with the safety of shrubs or trees nearby.
Well-camouflaged
Hop and ‘double scratch’ to feed
At feeders: Need platform feeder
Wait patiently at dawn for you to put out food
As likely to feed under the feeder as on it
Need nearby trees/shrubs for safety
© Project SOUND
Pretty song: dialect
learned early in life
Best bets for White-crowned Sparrows
Blue elderberry
Native wildflowers Tidy-tips
Lasthenia
Gilias
Hooker’s
Clarkias
Miner’s lettuce
Dotseed plantain
Native grasses, sedges
Need leaf litter or thin mulch
© Project SOUND
3/7/2015
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© Project SOUND
Dotseed Plantain – Plantago erecta
©Gary A. Monroe. Catalina Island, Los Angeles Co., CA. May 2, 2003
© Project SOUND
Dot-seed Plantain is a sure thing…..with
winter water and summer drought
Found throughout CA in vernal pools and depressions in dunes, grasslands, coastal prairies
Not particular about soil texture, pH
Full sun-partial shade
Does need good winter water – will not germinate without it
No summer water
Like many annuals, does best in slightly disturbed soils
Doesn’t compete well with alien annual grasses
Dot-seed plantain was a major grain food for native Californians
© Project SOUND
Dot-seed Plantain is a great butterfly
habitat plant – larval food source
http://angelo.berkeley.edu/Photographs/Jessie/Checkerspot.jpg
Checkerspots
Common Buckeye
http://www.duhons.net/Common%20Buckeye%207%20CP.jpg
© Project SOUND
Dotseed plantain and other annuals are an
important source of seeds for ground-foraging birds
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Giant Rye Grass - Leymus condensatus
http://www.timetotrack.com/jay/ryegw.htm
Giant Rye Grass - Leymus condensatus
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?Leymus+condensatus
http://www.bfs.claremont.edu/biota/plants.html
Distribution: western US; coastal CA and Mojave desert
Habitat: dunes, dry plains and slopes, grasslands, creekbeds
Large (3-8 ft tall), densely-clumping perennial grass with long, blue-green leaves
Flowers borne on plume-like stems above leaves
Giant Rye Grass Animal uses:
Good browse and graze Food for butterflies (larva)
and other insects Birds: nest site, cover and
lots of seed for food
Human uses:
Seeds Can be cooked or ground into
flour and eaten
Leaves Medicinal – eye infections Mats, baskets, rope, paper,
roof thatches
Stems Arrow shafts
http://www.elnativogrowers.com/Photographs_page/leco.htm
Giant Rye: drama in
the garden
Background plant: nice contrast with other natives
Specimen - Pampas Grass substitute
Windbreaks/ informal ‘hedges’
Hillsides
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Smaller, grayer variant of Giant Rye (from Prince’s Island) More adaptable to landscape – can be sheared Uses:
Accent plant; container plant Hedging Border plant Natural gardens, meadows
“Canyon Prince” cultivar is a garden favorite Managing grasses for bird/animal habitat
Leave seeding stems on plants until seeds are ripe/have fallen
If harvest before all seeds are eaten, place seeds where birds can eat them
Use signage to explain your pruning strategy (e.g. creating bird habitat)
Cut back plants (hard) when they becoming un-productive (usually every 3-4 years)
Cool season grasses – fall
Warm season grasses - spring
© Project SOUND
California Towhee – Melozone (Pipilo) crissalis
© Project SOUND
California Towhee – Melozone (Pipilo) crissalis
Size: large for a sparrow - 20–25 cm (7.9–9.8 in) in length [medium-sized bird]
Identifying characteristics:
Large sparrows, with a sparrow’s short, rounded wings, long tail
Thick, seed-cracking beak – but towhees are larger and bulkier that most sparrows.
Brown-gray
Throat & under-parts may have some orange/buff
Distinctive ‘necklace’ of brown spots
© Project SOUND
Plain & secretive bird: most
likely you’ll hear it’s call – a
sharp, metallic ‘chink’ (‘peenk’;
"chink-chink-ink-ink-ink-ink-ink-
ink".) [bouncing ball call]
Duet to defend territory &
maintain contact
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California Towhee – Melozone (Pipilo) crissalis
Range: Coastal N. America from OR to Baja
When in our area: year-round
Habitat: Chaparral, Coastal Sage Scrub, Oak
Woodland, Desert riparian
Live amid manzanita, buckthorn, madrone, foothill pines, and a variety of oaks
Backyards and neighborhood parks of lowland California
Conservation status: common & stable in most of range
© Project SOUND
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/california_towhee/id
Towhee diet:
seeds +
Mostly seeds from many kinds of grasses and forbs
Also berries: elderberry, coffeeberry, poison oak, acorns
‘Steal’ tender peas and lettuce, as well as fruit from orchards (plums, apricots are favorites).
Supplement diet with insects (mostly beetles, grasshoppers; also spiders, millipedes, and snails) during the breeding season.
At feeders : eats millet, cracked corn, peanuts, nuts, other seeds.
© Project SOUND
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pipilo_crissalis_(1).jpg
Note how many native birds have
adapted to new food sources
© Project SOUND
California Towhee – Melozone (Pipilo) crissalis
Towhees feed on seeds and insects within the leaf litter or occasionally on berries or seeds on bushes (strip the seeds off a grass stalk).
Forages in the leaf litter using the classic towhee foraging maneuver, the double-scratch.
They lunging forward and then quickly hopping backward, scratching at the ground with both feet.
If an insect moves, the bird is poised to pounce on it (or uncovered seeds).
The California Towhee likes dense cover and leaf litter. Leaf litter is good for many birds as well as most California native plants.
Attracting CA Towhees to your yard
The California Towhee likes dense cover and leaf litter.
Consider planting a large shrub or hedge/hedgerow for cover, nest sites
Some food plants to consider: Rhamnus/Frangula or other fruiting
shrubs/trees
Fragaria spp (strawberries)
Ribes spp (currants & gooseberries)
Seeds Native grasses
Asteraceae (Sunflower family)
Other wildflowers © Project SOUND
3/7/2015
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Nature can be messy & complex
© Project SOUND
Habitat gardens need to balance the needs for
complexity and neatness
CA towhees more likely to nest in the wild
California Towhees typically build their nests in a low fork (3-12 feet high) in a shrub/small tree.
Ceanothus,
Coffeeberry, and other shrubs of the chaparral;
Willow
Eucalyptus and many other ornamental shrubs and trees.
March through September
A bulky cup made of twigs, stems, grasses, and hair
© Project SOUND
Photo by Harold Greeney
Young leave the nest after
just 8 days
© Project SOUND
CA Coffeeberry – Frangula (Rhamnus) californica
USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
© Project SOUND
Plenty of cultivars: most of them low-growing compared to the species
‘Eve Case’
http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/rhamnus-californica-eve-case
‘Mound San Bruno’
http://www.smgrowers.com/products/pla
nts/plantdisplay.asp?plant_id=1850
‘Leatherleaf’
http://www.yerbabuenanursery.com/viewplant.php?pid=0521
‘Salt Point’
http://www.calfloranursery.com/pages_plants/pages_r/rhacalsalpoi.html
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3040/2330631124_56f79b4717.j
pg?v=0
3/7/2015
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© Project SOUND
Coffeeberry can be used in so many ways…
For erosion control on slopes; great combined with other CSS or chaparral plants
As an accent plant; beauty and habitat in one plant
For backs of mixed beds
Under oaks; great for sun/shade transition zones
Particularly suited for hedging: Formal or informal hedges,
screens
As a partner in hedgerows
http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/rhamnus-californica
The Songbirds: sub-order Passeri
Sub-order (clade) of the Perching birds (Passeriformes)
Over 4000 species world-wide
Evolved 50 million years ago in the part of Gondwana (broke up to form Australia, New Zealand, Antactica & other islands)
Key feature: they sing with sometimes elaborate songs
Territorial: use song to Indicate location
During courtship - attract females
Signal territory
© Project SOUND
Yellow-rumped warbler - Setophaga coronata
© Project SOUND
Yellow-rumped warbler - Setophaga coronata
(audubonii) Size: 12 to 15 cm (4.5 to 6 in.) long
Identifying characteristics: Full-bodied warbler with large head,
sturdy bill, and long, narrow tail
Summer male : slate blue back, yellow throat, and yellow crown, rump and flank patch. It has white tail patches, and the breast is streaked black.
Summer female: similar pattern, but the back and breast streaks are brown.
Winter birds are paler brown, with bright yellow rump and throat; usually some yellow on the sides.
Song: trill-like song of 4–7 syllables (tyew-tyew-tyew-tyew,tew-tew-tew)
© Project SOUND
3/7/2015
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Male in breeding plumage
© Project SOUND
Yellow-rumped (Audubon’s) warbler -
Setophaga coronata (audubonii)
Range: North America; Audubon’s form in West
When in our area: mostly fall/winter, but may be year-round; southern individuals less likely to migrate than northern ones.
Habitat: In summer: open coniferous forests and
edges, and to a lesser extent deciduous forests.
In fall and winter : open woods and shrubby habitats, including coastal vegetation, parks, home gardens.
Conservation status: common and widespread
© Project SOUND
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/yellow-rumped_warbler/id
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Setophaga_auduboni#mediaviewer/File:Dendroica_coronata_auduboni_map.svg
Audubon’s Warbler: varied diet
Insects: caterpillars/other larvae, leaf beetles, bark beetles, weevils, ants, scale insects, aphids, grasshoppers, caddisflies, craneflies, and gnats, as well as spiders.
Plant foods: On migration/winter: eat great numbers of
fruits, particularly wax myrtle, which their digestive systems are uniquely suited among warblers to digest.
Other commonly eaten fruits include juniper berries, poison oak, grapes, elderberries and dogwood.
Also eat wild seeds such as from native grasses and goldenrod.
May come to hanging feeders, where they'll take sunflower seeds, raisins, peanut butter, and suet.
© Project SOUND
Charming to watch
Natural feeding/behavior: Glean insects from
leaves/branches
Dart out to catch insects on the wing
Eat dried berries on tree
Will drink/take a bath in a birdbath or shallow pond
At feeders: Like hanging feeders best
Very cautious; more aggressive birds may scare them off, but they return
© Project SOUND
3/7/2015
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Good bets for attracting ‘butter butts’
CA Wax myrtle – Morella (Myrica) californica
Fruiting trees & shrubs Sambucus nigra cerulea - Blue
elderberry
Fruit trees (especially like the winter-deciduous)
Large native shrubs that retain fruits: Toyon; Manzanitas
Other large shrubs
Fruiting vines Grapes
Honeysuckles
© Project SOUND © Project SOUND
* Pacific (CA) Wax Myrtle – Morella (Myrica) californica
© Project SOUND
Wax Myrtles can be
used in many ways
As a specimen plant, accenting colors, fruits, aroma
Trained into a small shade tree; woodsy feel
As a foundation plant
Mixed with other coastal shrubs in coastal gardens; tolerates salt-spray, winds
In medicinal garden: tea from ground bark used for colds, skin infections http://gardenoflamancha.blogspot.com/2008/01/myrica-californica.html
Wash off the dust every week or so to
keep it happy in summer © Project SOUND
But Wax Myrtle really
shines as a hedge plant
Large informal hedges, windbreaks
Clipped formal hedges, screens
As a foundation plant for a hedgerow
http://gardenoflamancha.blogspot.com/2008/01/myrica-californica.html
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Pink Honeysuckle – Lonicera hispidula var. vacillans
© Project SOUND © Project SOUND
Our local honeysuckles are vine-like
shrubs (or woody vines)
Size: vines 5-18 ft. long
Fast growing
Relatively long-lived: 15-20 years
Deciduous with paired, rounded fuzzy leaves –autumn foliage color
Cannot climb without support – rather creeps or sprawls over other plants
http://www.santabarbarahikes.com/flowers/index.php?action=show_item&id=213&search=
© Project SOUND
A honeysuckle with
pink flowers…
Blooms Apr-July
Pink-lavender and white flowers – typical Honeysuckle
Flowers in showy clusters at ends of flowering stalks
Flowers are scented Provide a good nectar source for
hummingbirds, bees & butterflies
© Project SOUND
Berries are edible – enjoyed by birds
Berries in summer/fall
Bright red – in showy clusters – can be dramatic
Fruits edible – with a little sweetner
Fruit-eating birds will take care of them for you
http://www.backyardnature.net/n/09/091004.htm
http://blog.duncraft.com/2010/08/10/feed-fruit-and-berries-to-your-birds/
Cedar waxwing
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© Project SOUND
Native honeysuckles: perfect for shade, clay
Light: probably best in part-shade – but can take full sun to shade
Soils: any well-drained, including clays
Water:
drought tolerant but can tolerate seasonal flooding
Moderate to none in summer once established
Nutrients: low requirements, but may benefit from organic mulch
http://www.baynatives.com/plants/Lonicera-hispidula/
Versatile native honeysuckles
On fences or trellises – they need something to grow on
Over an arbor or pergola; great addition to scented garden & excellent habitat plants
As a groundcover; in hedgerows
© Project SOUND
http://www.thegardenhelper.com/psd/lonicera_hh.jpg
Bushtit - Psaltriparus minimus
© Project SOUND http://nathistoc.bio.uci.edu/birds/passeriformes/Psaltriparus%20minimus/
Bushtit - Psaltriparus minimus
Size: tiny – about 4.3 inches
Identifying characteristics: gray-brown to greenish-gray
overall – lighter beneath
large head, a short neck, a long tail, and a short stubby bill.
male has dark eyes and the adult female, yellow.
Coastal forms have a brown "cap"
The only species of long-tailed tit in North America.
© Project SOUND
http://www.birdforum.net/opus/Bushtit
http://indianapublicmedia.org/amomentofscience/files/2011/01/011_bushtit1-940x626.jpg
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Bushtit - Psaltriparus minimus
Range: western N. America from British Columbia to Central America
When in our area: year-round; more noticeable in fall/winter when travel in flocks of 20-30+
Habitat: chaparral, oak forest, pinyon-juniper
and pine-oak woods
streamside groves in dry areas
parks and gardens with large trees
elevations from sea level to over 11,000 feet
Conservation status: common; stable numbers
© Project SOUND
http://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/bushtit
Bushtits are a gardener’s best friend
Insects : mostly small insects and spiders
Feeds on a wide variety of tiny insects, especially leafhoppers, treehoppers, aphids, scale insects, caterpillars, and beetles; also wasps, ants, and many others, including eggs and pupae of many insects.
They less frequently eat plant material, but have been seen eating olives, small berries and willow seeds.
© Project SOUND
http://ibc.lynxeds.com/photo/bushtit-psaltriparus-minimus/part-large-flock-was-very-actively-foraging-bush-
bush
Bushtits are wonderful to watch
Very tame and fearless of humans
Natural feeding/behavior:
Very active and gregarious, foraging in single or mixed-species feeding flocks
Constant communication – call sounds like little ringing bells
Move constantly, often hanging upside down to pick at insects or spiders on the undersides of leaves.
Sip water from drops on leaves
Generally don’t feed at feeders; may visit hanging suet block to glean insects, spiders
© Project SOUND
http://sutroforest.com/2010/03/29/sutro-forest-birds/
May move to higher
elevations after breeding
Nesting in your yard? Yes if you have trees
Nest sites on branches or trunks of trees from 8 to 100 feet up
Very unusual hanging nest, shaped like a soft pouch or sock, from moss, spider webs, and grasses.
Adult male ‘helpers’ help raise the young (very unusual among birds)
All Bushtit family members sleep together in the hanging nest during the breeding season. Once the young fledge, they all leave the nest and thereafter sleep on branches
© Project SOUND
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_bushtit#mediaviewer/File:Bushtit_Nest.JPG
Not strongly territorial; tolerate other Bushtits even near nest.
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Bushtits like any plants with small insects
Any tree or large shrub, including fruit trees [citrus]
Fruiting vines
Especially like: Mulefat
Ceanothus
Coyote bush
Mountain mahogany
Native Junipers
Native pines
Native oaks
© Project SOUND
http://nathistoc.bio.uci.edu/birds/passeriformes/Psaltriparus%20minimus/
© Project SOUND
Mulefat – Baccharis salicifolia
© Project SOUND
Mulefat: interesting bush Sunflower
Size: 6-10 ft tall
6-8 ft wide
Growth form: Large, woody shrub
Many long stems
Vase-shaped or rounded
Foliage: Drought deciduous
Bright/medium green, sticky, aromatic
Leaves shaped like willow leaves
Roots: mostly fibrous – some may be deeper
© Project SOUND
Separate male, female plants
Blooms: Off & on depending on water
from Feb-Oct.
May be a good spring bloom
Flowers: dioecious; insect pollinated
Male flower heads:
May be pink or cream
Look like ‘fireworks’
Female flower heads:
Also pinkish or white
Looks like a soft little brush
Seeds (female plants) : small with fluffy ‘sail’ – wind distributed
female
male
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Mule Fat provides many important
resources to the local ecosystem
Habitat considerations
Butterfly and bee nectar plant; other insects eat leaves
Good perches for birds
Shelter/nest site for birds, small mammals and reptiles
Attracts seed-eating birds (especially finches)
Attracts insect-eating birds
http://www.fireflyforest.com/flowers/whites/white21.html
© Project SOUND
Mulefat makes a fine large shrub
As a background shrub – even in narrow places
As a shade ‘tree’
In a habitat hedgerow; one of the best all-round habitat plants
In a locally-native garden
Tyrant Flycatchers – family Tyrannidae
Largest family of birds on earth, with over 400 known species
Live in the Americas
Most, but not all, species are rather plain (various hues of brown, gray and white commonplace)
Some species have erectile crests on their heads.
Mostly insectivores – sally forth to catch flying insects
Extremely variable habitats
© Project SOUND http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Say%27s_phoebe#mediaviewer/File:Sayornis_saya_6.jpg -Linda Tanner
Say’s Phoebe
Black Phoebe - Sayornis nigricans
© Project SOUND
3/7/2015
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Black Phoebe - Sayornis nigricans
Size: small 16 cm (6-7 inches); medium size for flycatcher
Identifying characteristics: Small, plump songbirds with large
heads and medium-long, squared tails.
They often show a slight peak at the rear of the crown. The bill is straight and thin
Mostly sooty gray on the upperparts and chest, with a slightly darker black head.
The belly is clean white, and the wing feathers are edged with pale gray.
© Project SOUND
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_phoebe#mediaviewer/File:Sayornis_nigricans_NBII.jpg
Black Phoebe - Sayornis nigricans
Range: S. OR, coastal CA, AZ, NM to S. America (mostly western coast)
When in our area: year-round; may migrate slightly North or to higher elevations in summer.
Habitat: Closely associated with water sources:
cliffs/beaches, riverbanks, lake shorelines, ephemeral ponds, parks, backyards, even cattle tanks.
Require a source of mud for nest building.
Conservation status: numerous & increasing; adapt well to urban/suburban environments. Need wetland Preserves.
© Project SOUND
Black Phoebes are insectivores
Eat arthropods almost exclusively: bees, wasps, flies, beetles, bugs,
grasshoppers, damselflies, dragonflies, termites, and spiders.
Perch less than 7 feet off the ground or the water; keep a sharp eye out for prey. Once they spot something, they sally from perches to either take prey from the air, glean it as it crawls, or snatch it from the surface of a pond.
Sometimes snatch minnows from the surface of ponds.
Occasionally eat small berries
© Project SOUND
http://www.edhat.com/site/tidbit.cfm?nid=55823
Help keep those pesky
flying insects at bay!
Black Phoebes: fun to watch
Not really afraid of humans – like to be near human structures Poop on perches (chairs; etc.)
Will try to nest in human structures
They sit upright, in the open on low perches, to scan for insects, often keeping up a running series of shrill chirps.
Make short, quick flights to catch insects.
They pump their tails up and down incessantly when perched.
© Project SOUND
http://www.birdinginformation.com/birds/tyrant-flycatchers/black-phoebe/
Song: repeated tee-hee, tee ho.
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Attracting Phoebes to your yard
Need a source of water/mud
Like low perches
Plant native plants that attract plenty of flying insects:
Native trees – Blue elderberry
Mulefat
Goldenbushes
Buckwheats
© Project SOUND
Make a nesting platform
http://www.50birds.com/birdhouse-plans/phoebe-nesting-platform.htm
http://www.50birds.com/birdhouse-plans/phoebe-nesting-platform.htm
Insecticides & birds: there’s a connection
Insecticides kill food sources for insect-eating birds
Insect-eating birds concentrate pesticides from the many insects they eat – effects can be bad
© Project SOUND
Native ‘pest controllers’ control many insects on native plants
Nesting in your yard: entirely possible
Pairs monogamous; very territorial
The male Black Phoebe gives the female a tour of potential nest sites, hovering in front of each likely spot for 5 to 10 seconds.
Female makes the final decision and does all the nest construction.
Nest is a mud shell lined with plant fibers, plastered to a vertical wall within an inch or two of a protective ceiling
May re-use nest for several years
© Project SOUND
The chicks fledge in 14-21
days. The female may have
2-3 broods a year.
© Project SOUND
The Corvids - Family
Corvidae
> 120 species
Contains the crows, ravens, rooks, jackdaws, jays, magpies and nutcrackers
Large to medium-sized birds; smart and social
Omnivores – including human food
Most people can recognize at least a few members
http://pomofo.tumblr.com/post/82163220945/ofpaperandponies-crow-vs-raven-by-paso-ravens
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© Project SOUND
Some birds have unique relationships
with specific plants…
http://www.laspilitas.com/California_birds/Jays_and_magpies/scrub_jay/scrub_jay_in_your_garden.htm
Their favorite foods are acorns
and they also enjoy eating the
insects attracted by an oak
tree.
Western Scrub Jay - Aphelocoma californica
© Project SOUND
‘I have no room for a Oak Tree’
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/121/277961690_153fe58532_o.jpg
© Project SOUND
S. California’s Scrub Oaks
Scrub Oak is a general name for several species of small, shrubby, evergreen oaks, including the following species:
California Scrub Oak (Quercus berberidifolia)
Leather Oak (Quercus durata)
Coastal Scrub Oak (Quercus dumosa)
Tucker Oak (Quercus john-tuckeri)
Channel Island Scrub Oak (Quercus pacifica)
Santa Cruz Island Oak (Quercus parvula)
Sonoran Scrub Oak (Quercus turbinella)
© Project SOUND
Coastal Sage Scrub Oak – Quercus berberidifolia
http://www.yerbabuenanursery.com/images/new_botimages/large/0620_2_a.jpg
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© Project SOUND
Channel Island Scrub Oak – Quercus pacifica
© 2001 Tony Morosco
© Project SOUND
Channel Island Scrub Oak – Quercus pacifica
Endemic on three of the California Channel Islands: Santa Cruz, Santa Catalina, and Santa Rosa.
Island Chaparral, woodlands, margins of grasslands
Is a species of concern
http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=233501070
http://www.channelislandsrestoration.com/sci/endemics.htm http://www.channelislandsrestoration.com/sci/Quercus-pacifica1.htm
© Project SOUND
Channel Isl Scrub Oak: in many ways a typical scrub oak
Size: 6-15 ft tall
10-15 ft wide
Growth form: Large shrub or small tree
Gray, furrowed bark at maturity
Rather dense – heavily branched
Foliage: Medium-sized leathery leaves
Surfaces glandular & waxy
Have star-shaped hairs (trichomes)
larval food for Hairstreaks, Duskywings, CA Sister butterflies
Roots: Both shallow & deep roots
© 2001 Tony Morosco
http://128.253.177.182/taxpage/0/0/79/binomial/Quercus%20pacifica.html
© Project SOUND
Scrub Oaks – so
versatile
Excellent on dry slopes, for erosion control
Appropriate for parking strips
Can bonsai – or trim as a hedge/screen
Superb habitat plant Butterflies
Other insects
Wide range of birds
Provides food, perches, nesting sites (CA Towhee)
© 2001 Tony Morosco
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3572/3642572283_1852921712.jpg?v=
0
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© Project SOUND
Western Scrub Jay - Aphelocoma californica
Scrub Jays are generalists - eat acorns, seeds, fruits and nuts – also insects & eggs.
Store acorns in the soil for short-term storage; an important dispersal agent of oaks – think of them as the ‘Johnny Appleseeds’ of oaks
Nest in the dense foliage of a large bush or small tree, usually situated near water
http://www.avesphoto.com/WEBSITE/NA/species/JAYWSC-1.htm
The more generalist an organism is, the better chances it has to co-exist with others of its own species as well as other species with similar niches
© Project SOUND
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_scrub_jay
Competition can occur in wild and garden
ecosystems Definition: a biological
interaction among organisms of the same or different species associated with the need for a common resource that occurs in a limited supply relative to demand.
Often involves a scarcity of some factor necessary for life
Food
Water
‘territory’ (nesting sites)
Etc.
Inter-specific competition
© Project SOUND
Northern Mockingbird - Mimus polyglottos
© Project SOUND
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Northern_Mocking_bird_-_Mimus_polyglottos.JPG
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Northern Mockingbird - Mimus polyglottos
Size: medium - 20.5 to 28 cm (8.1 to 11.0 in) including tail
Identifying characteristics:
Slender body; long tail
Long, thin bill & long, dark legs
Overall gray-brown, paler on the breast and belly, with two white wingbars on each dark gray wing.
White patch in each wing is often visible on perched birds, and in flight these become large white flashes.
The white outer tail feathers are also flashy in flight.
© Project SOUND
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Mockingbird/id
Mockingbirds are real singers…
Song: complex mix of many bird’s songs.
Continue to add new sounds to their repertoires throughout their lives. A male may learn around 200 songs throughout its life
Typically sing from February through August, and again from September to early November
Sing day & night in breeding season
© Project SOUND
http://www.birdwatchersgeneralstore.com/MockingbirdsNight.htm
Popular as a caged bird in
1800’s
Northern Mockingbird - Mimus polyglottos
Range: S. Canada to Central America
When in our area: year-round
Habitat: Areas with open ground and with
shrubby vegetation (hedges, fruiting bushes, and thickets).
When foraging on the ground, it prefers grassy areas, rather than bare spots.
Towns, suburbs, backyards, parks, forest edges, and open land at low elevations.
Conservation status: common, but populations declined by about 20 percent from 1966 to 2010
© Project SOUND
Northern Mockingbird is an omnivore
Eat mainly insects in summer: beetles, earthworms, moths, butterflies, ants, bees, wasps, grasshoppers
Switch to eating mostly fruit in fall and winter: many types including mulberries, hawthorns, apples, rosehips, Toyon fruits and native berries.
Opportunists: sometimes eat small lizards; been seen drinking sap from the cuts on recently pruned trees.
Mockingbirds can drink from puddles, river and lake edges, or dew and rain droplets on plants
© Project SOUND
3/7/2015
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Observing Mockingbirds
Highly territorial:
Males sing from high perch
Will ‘scold’ & chase intruders from vicinity of nest, young
Usually perches high off ground
Natural feeding/behavior:
May run or hop along ground
‘Broken wing’ display
At feeders: not often
© Project SOUND
May nest in your yard – though they’d
probably prefer a park
Nest in shrubs and trees, typically 3-10 feet off the ground or more.
The male probably chooses the nest site and begins building several nests before the female chooses one to finish
‘Rustic’ looking nest: dead twigs shaped into an open cup, lined with grasses, rootlets, leaves, and trash, sometimes including bits of plastic, aluminum foil, and shredded cigarette filters.
© Project SOUND
http://askville.amazon.com/long-baby-mocking-birds-stay-nest-
flying/AnswerViewer.do?requestId=11297133
Best bets for Mockingbirds
Provide trees or large bushes for perching and nesting
Provide ‘insect plants’ for summer food Mulefat
Fruit trees
Choose fruiting trees, bushes or vines for winter food Blue elderberry
Native berry bushes
Apple trees
Toyon
Native roses
© Project SOUND
Blue/Mexican Elderberry – Sambucus nigra spp. cerulea (S. cerulea)
http://www.timetotrack.com/jay/elderb3.htm
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Blue/Mexican Elderberry
Southwestern Canada
Western U.S. – particularly coastal and higher elevations
In CA, primarily coastal
Northwestern Mexico
http://www.cnr.vt.edu/dendro/dendrology/syllabus/maps/sambucus_cerulea.jpg
Elderberry is great
habitat
Insects – use leaves & flowers Endangered Valley Longhorn
Beetle CA Central Valley) Bees & other pollinators
Birds – berries, insects, cover, nesting sites
Animals – foliage, berries, cover
http://www.backfromthebrink.org/
pop_up_slideshow.cfm?animalid=
15
http://www.freespiritart.com/indigo-bunting.php
Elderberry – extremely versatile in the
home garden
Can be grown as a tree – little pruning required
Can be trained as a “large bush” – yearly pruning
Good for retaining soil on slopes and banks
As a specimen – light and lacy
In naturalized areas
Scent garden – flowers smell like honey on hot days
Xeriscaping – particularly good for rain gardens, vernal swales
http://museum.utep.edu/archive/plants/DDelder.htm
Hooded Oriole - Icterus cucullatus
© Project SOUND http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Icterus_cucullatus_Male_2.jpg
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Hooded Oriole - Icterus cucullatus
Size: medium (~7 inches)
Identifying characteristics:
Slender body; long tail
Male: Entirely orange or orange-yellow head,
nape, rump, and underparts.
Black bib, narrow mask and back.
Wings black with two white wingbars, the upper one wide and bold, the lower one narrow. Tail black
Female: Olive yellow on head, rump, and tail.
Underparts dull, but brighter yellow.
Back dull grayish olive.
Two white wingbars, top one broader than lower. Wings dusky.
© Project SOUND
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Hooded_Oriole/id
Hooded Oriole - Icterus cucullatus
Range: CA to Central America
When in our area: spring/summer breeding season (late March-Aug.) ; migrate south to Mexico in flocks in fall
Habitat: Breeds in areas with scattered trees,
such as desert oases and along streams. Also in mesquite brush.
Common in urban and suburban areas. Fond of palm trees.
Conservation status: least concern – range expanding into more suburban areas
© Project SOUND
Hooded Oriole is an insect- and fruit-eater
Searches for insects among leaves; may hang upside down. Spiders, caterpillars and beetles
Nectar: orange & red flowers
A nectar robber because it pierces the base of the flower, and does not assist in pollination
Prefer nectar from the blossoms of agaves, aloes, hibiscus and tree tobacco and lilies, also fruit trees, eucalyptus
Fruits: Many wild fruits and berries.
Cultivated fruits, particularly when the fruits are sweet and juicy ripe. [oranges, tangerines. ripe peaches, pears, plums, apricots, nectarines, large grapes, melons (especially watermelon)]
© Project SOUND
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hooded_oriole#mediaviewer/File:HoodedOriole.jpg
Bright, lively birds are fun to watch
Natural feeding/behavior:
Most likely to see gathering food for nestlings
Social: interactions, calling
Most likely to see in shrubs that have lots of insects
Very active birds
At feeders: Will take fruit from feeders
will visit hummingbird feeders
© Project SOUND
http://fireflyforest.net/firefly/2005/06/03/hooded-oriole/
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Oriole feeders tempt these pretty birds
Orioles also enjoy jelly; Grape or Bird Berry Jelly is
commonly used
Orioles may also eat mealworms (particularly attractive when feeding young birds) or fruit (grapes and citrus commonly used)
Sugar water (like hummingbirds) 1:6 sugar:water mix best
Specialty oriole feeders have wider ports to accommodate their beaks, larger size perches, and sometimes) jelly-holding cups in the lid in addition to the main sugar water basin.
© Project SOUND
Oriole feeder
http://wildbirdsonline.com/articles_orioles.html
Wild Birds Unlimited, Torrance
Expert advice
Good bird/habitat events calendar
Shop has all sorts of bird-associated products:
Garden
Bird food & feeders
Binoculars
Books & other resources
© Project SOUND
Nesting in your yard: possible
Favorite trees: palms, Eucalyptus; will nest in other garden & native trees like Cottonwoods, Sycamores, Willows
Nest is a tightly woven pouch of plant fibers attached to the underside of a leaf or tree branch.
May be hanging freely or attached by sides of nest as well as rim.
© Project SOUND
http://goldengateaudubon.org/wp-content/uploads/Hooded-oriole-fleglings-in-nest.-
Cycad-and-Palm-Gaden-Paul-Licht.jpg
Summer tree trimming – not a good idea
Stressful for trees
Destructive of nests, nest sites
Breeding bird season: March through August
Does this tree really need to be pruned? Many properly located and
selected trees need very little pruning
Be sure that you use a reputable arborist service
© Project SOUND
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Best plant choices for attracting orioles
Large trees for nesting:
Native: Cottonwoods, sycamores, California fan palm (Washingtonia filifera)
Non-native: palms; eucalyptus, Bottlebrush tree (Callistemon)
Any of the good trees/shrubs for insects
Fruiting/berry trees & shrubs Blue elderberry
Ribes species
Wild grape – Vitis girdiana
© Project SOUND © Project SOUND
White-flowered Currant - Ribes indecorum
Pink Currant - Ribes sanguineum var. glutinosum
© Project SOUND
Coastal areas and mountain ranges
R. indecorum : South Coast, Western Transverse Ranges, Peninsular Ranges to N. Baja
R. sanguineun : Central & N. Coast
interior canyons and washes
Chaparral and coastal sage scrub below 6000'
White-flowered Currant - Ribes indecorum
Pink Currant - Ribes sanguineum var. glutinosum
White
Pink
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?4450,4451,4489,4490
© Project SOUND
White & Pink Currants in the wild
Commonly grow in the shade of large oaks, along seasonal creeks and on north and east slopes
Part- to full shade
Seasonal water
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© Project SOUND
White & Pink Currants
Showy flowers
Early: winter to spring
Cluster of bell-shaped flowers on drooping stalks
Fragrant!!
Provide early nectar source for: Hummingbirds Butterflies Bees & other pollinators
Sticky Purple berries
Edible – raw or cooked
Food for many birds (Dark-eyed Junco, Quail, Thrushes, Robins, Finches, Towhees and Jays) © Project SOUND
Many possibilities
in the garden As a berry bush in the edible
garden; great for jellies
As a shrub in backs of summer-dry beds
In hedgerows & hedges
In a fragrance garden
For wildlife habitat in a natural or formal garden – some of the best because they provide food & shelter
As an accent plant – showy flowers & attractive foliage
In large pots, planters
Last month we talked
about below-ground
food webs
There are terrestrial food webs in your garden ecosystem as well – you might even want to draw a simple one
© Project SOUND http://greatneck.k12.ny.us/GNPS/SHS/dept/science/krauz/bio_h/images/53_12FoodChains_L.jp
g
Blue elderberry
insect Mockingbird
Bushtit
Sometimes high
level consumers
visit the garden
© Project SOUND
If you attract birds to your
yard, their predators may
also visit
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Cooper’s Hawk - Accipiter cooperii
Most likely raptor in most gardens
Size: 14.5-15.5 inches (medium hawk)
A bird of forests & woodlands; fairly common in urban/suburban S. CA
Behavior: Swooping through trees to catch
medium-sized birds (Jays; Mockingbirds)
Swooping down to capture ground-feeding Doves
Perched (usually pretty well hidden); always watchful – may hear it cry (harsh cak-cak-cak-cak-cak etc.)
Nest in tall trees (parks; preserves) © Project SOUND © Project SOUND
Things you can do to attract more birds
Plant a greater variety of plants to attract a greater diversity of birds: taller and shorter trees, shrubs, native flowers, and grasses.
Diversify the height, leaf type, and food (fruits, berries, and nuts) provided by the plants in your garden.
Plant shrubs and trees that provide berries well into the winter to attract fruit-eating birds – including migrants like Cedar Waxwings.
© Project SOUND
Things you can do to attract more birds
Plant in groupings: more food & edge effects.
Include native wildflowers and shrubs that attract insects: the insects will feed insect-eating birds and the young of many seed eaters.
Allow flowers/grasses to go to seed to attract finches, juncos, sparrows, and other seed-eating birds.
© Project SOUND
Things you can do to attract more birds
Provide clean, safe water
Provide a spot of bare soil about 20 inches across in a sunny corner of your yard. This will allow birds to take dust baths to clean their feathers and get rid of parasites.
You can supplement your natural food sources by adding some feeders, but only if you choose to.
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If I had to choose just a few plants…
Fruiting/nut tree (elderberry; oak; other) that provides fruits, insects, perches & nesting sites
A mixed hedgerow of large evergreen fruiting shrubs: Toyon; Rhus; Ribes; scrub oak; wild rose
Several large ‘bush sunflower’ (Mulefat; Goldenbushes)
Anything else in the Sunflower family: annual, perennial or shrub
Annual/perennial wildflowers
Native grasses
© Project SOUND
Native hedgerow : Heritage Creek
Preserve – CSU Dominguez Hills
Some books you might enjoy
D. Tallamy – Bringing Nature Home
R. Darke & D. Tallamy - The Living Landscape: Designing for Beauty and Biodiversity in the Home Garden. Timber Press. ISBN-10: 1604694084; ISBN-13: 9781604694086
C.E. Sawyers – The Authentic Garden: Five Principles for Cultivating a Sense of Place. Timber Press. ISBN-13: 978-0-88192-831-0
S. Stein – Noah’s Garden: Restoring the Ecology of Our Own Backyards. Houghton Mifflen Press. ISBN-10:0-395-70940-7; ISBN-13: 978-0-395-70949-5
© Project SOUND
Get involved with the PV/South Bay
chapter of the Audubon Society
© Project SOUND
Humans: top carnivores
and incredible
competitors
The front lines of the battle for nature are not the Amazon rain forest or the Alaskan wilderness but in our backyards, medians, parking lots, and elementary schools.
A garden, by its very definition, is an act against nature.
© Project SOUND
http://www.ghoofie.com/ideas/16-gorgeous-summer-garden-
ideas/attachment/colorful-garden-design-ideas/
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A garden is a reflection of our beliefs
A garden of native plants is at least an attempt to understand what we've altered and to heal the rift between our culture and the natural ecosystems that once existed where we live.
© Project SOUND
Our gardens are our site of protest; our expression
of what we believe is morally right
© Project SOUND