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Shelter is one of the three basic tenets of bird feeding, along with food and water. We can furnish shelter in two ways: bird houses and natural cover. Housing is important for perhaps as many as 50 species of North American birds, but only about a dozen that are routinely seen at feeders. Bird houses yield a different sort of shelter, a nesting site. Again, specific house shapes, sizes and dimensions will attract specific birds. Nesting sites are generally at a premium in the wild and so a bird house can go far in enticing new birds to your backyard habitat.
Below are some specifications for bird houses. All houses should be cleaned at least once a year to prevent unwanted parasites from squatting.
Natural cover is composed of trees, bushes, shrubs and gardens that not only offer shelter but also act to actually entice birds to your yard. Safety, security, protection from inclement weather and the presence of natural foods make natural cover vegetation irresistible to birds. Learn more about cover and natural shelter under the topic of "Birdscaping".
| Resources |
- Woodworking for Wildlife by Carrol L Henderson - Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
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Rufous-sided (Eastern) Towhee
© photo by Stephen Lang |
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