Native Plant Cover for Birds, Local & Migratory
Birds prefer shrubs, both for soil and plant food sources, and for protective cover. Layered shrubs of natives growing to varied sizes are most effective for berry, nut and caterpillar supply, and protection for adults, nests, and hatchlings.
Many native bird species are now on the decline or endangered, due to a ‘negative web’
situation in which climate change, invasive plant, animal, and disease species, pollution and chemical misuse, habitat destruction, and soil degradation also reduce availability of insect and plant food sources, as well as protective and useful cover. Much as with the elements that interplay to create a healthy environment, these negative factors also act upon each other, with heavy repercussions. The presence or absence of native bird species is an accurate way to measure overall environmental health, which affects all life forms, including human life.
There is a broad choice of attractive and effective native shrubs, large and small. Using a varied selection provides ample selections seasonally of flower, berry, seed, and nut for both local and all 37 species of birds that migrate through Ohio. Such use also accomplishes significant restoration of habitat on all trophic levels. All the plants listed in the article are available from Siebenthaler’s.
Although native birds are often viewed as only side-show scenery or even as a nuisance in the yard, their importance as a direct indicator of environmental health cannot be overstated. The mere presence or absence of a native species lends a pretty accurate synopsis of the area’s ability to function: Parent birds can only feed larvae and other insect forms to their young, fruit and seeds mostly out of the question.
When bird species decline, it is primarily due to the decline in native pollinating insects, partly due to pollution and chemical toxicity. When insect adults and larvae decline, that is also partly due to a toxic environment, but more so due to the loss of native plant species, also partly due to misuse of chemicals, but also climate change, invasive plants, and habitat destruction.
In other words, when we no longer see a plethora of native bird species (keeping in mind that abundant starling and ‘English sparrow’ are not native birds). What we are seeing is a new type of ‘web,’ but an unnatural web, in which loss of birds, insects, plants, clean air and water, other animal species, vital soil, and healthy climate all interplay with each other, a downward spiral involving each category, due to their interdependence. And native birds are thereby an uncomplicated way to see where we stand.
Although many bird species use tree trunks or canopies of tall trees for nesting sites, the primary criterion for nest location is the availability of food though cover, and safety also rank high. For both reasons, many bird species nest and may remain in understory areas, preferring high or low shrubs to tree trunks and canopies. A layered shrub canopy provides exceptionally effective cover, hiding adult birds, eggs, and hatchlings. In addition to making them safer from birds of prey, a shrub canopy provides better views and access to multi-seasonal fruit and seed from many species of native shrubs, both on the plant and on the ground, plus grubs and worms under leaf litter and in the soil. Dense shrub cover provides the best protection from storms and
high winds.
