Louisiana Master Naturalists of Greater New Orleans

PLANTS THAT ATTRACT BIRDS
Presenter: Wendy Rihner, OAS Education Chair
Date: Wednesday, August 7
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: East Bank Regional Library, 4747 West Napoleon Avenue, Metairie.
Free, open to the public, no registration required.

Rihner says that the primary features one must provide to invite birds into the landscape are shelter, nesting sites, food, and water. Although people often provide food and water for birds, shelter and nesting sites should not be overlooked. Difficulty in finding natural shelter near the food and water sources one provides may tempt birds to look elsewhere for a more promising environment. She says that providing a place for birds to nest means the possibility of seeing them frequently at close range and the birds will be allies in insect control. Each species shows a strong preference for the specific elevation at which it feeds and nests. This is apparent in natural forests where some birds sing and feed in the high canopy level, but nest in the lower canopy. Others may feed on the ground, nest in shrubs, and sing from the highest trees. These bird movements demonstrate that a multilevel planting design is important. Adding levels to a plant community increases surface area by creating more leaves, stems, nooks, and crannies on which birds can nest, feed, and sing. The use of various-sized shrubs and small as well as larger trees planted in masses or groups will achieve this in a landscape design.