Backyard Habitat – Palouse Audubon Society

Backyard wildlife habitats can reflect and enhance our connection with nature. The National Audubon Society provides many useful guidelines for establishing a backyard habitat hospitable and conducive to supporting a wildlife population. Some of the fundamental elements to be provided include:

a variety of feeders and foods
an assortment of bird houses and nest boxes
trees and shrubs for shelter and food
clean water for drinking and bathing
brush piles for protection

Other important measures to consider are prevention of bird window collisions and keeping cats indoors.

The choices of feeders, bird seeds, and other items can be bewildering. Feeder options can include tube, hopper, tray, lantern style, suet cake, hummingbird feeders, and more. Foods to provide may be sunflower seeds with or without hulls, thistle seed, mixed grains, and the natural berries growing on trees and shrubs. The resources listed below can assist you in developing a hospitable environment for wildlife in your own backyard.

Bird Habitat Necessities from the National Audubon Society
About Birds and Bird Feeding from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology

	Feeders and Foods: Bird Feeding Basics from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology
	Bird House Plans and Nest Boxes: Building a Basic Birdbox along with plans for decorative bird houses from CraftyBirds Nest Boxes for Birds from the Washington Department of Wildlife
	Trees and shrubs: Backyard Wildlife Sanctuary from Washington Department of Wildlife In Your Backyard from Natural Resources Conservation Service Plants for Birds from National Audubon Society Using Native Plants to Preserve Birds and Protect Homes
	Water Sources: Supply Water for Wildlife from the National Wildlife Federation
	Brush Piles: When pruning trees and bushes, leave a pile of branches for birds to seek shelter in. Also leave a few larger tree limbs as perches. Wildlife Brush Piles from the National Wildlife Federation and creating brush piles Natural Resources Conservation Service
	Protection from Windows: Prevent Bird Window Collisions from American Bird Conservancy Window Hazards from Wildbirds.com
	Protection from Cats: Cats Indoors program from American Bird Conservancy
	YOUR Backyard Wildlife Habitat Experience: Drop a note to us at email@palouseaudubon.org with any ideas, comments, stories, and/or photos you would like to share about wildlife experiences in your small or large backyard habitat. What kinds of trees and shrubs seem to work best? What are the most useful bird feeders? What local sources do you use to purchase bird food?

For more information and ideas about creating a healthy backyard habitat, see the July-August 2013 issue of Audubon magazine “Creating a Bird-Friendly Yard“.