WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU

DOING DOWN THERE?

A Bird’s Eye View of Urban Habitat

By Marianne Dawson
Who Am I?

• Marianne Dawson
• Fourth year in SFU Biology
• Trained bird bander
• Passionate about birds
 Wonderful BC birds

More birds breed in BC than in any other province!

 The State of Things

• All these birds have to go somewhere!

• Some species are in local decline
 House wren

 Chipping sparrow

 Ruby-crowned kinglet

 Golden-crowned sparrow
Migration

• Most BC birds are only

here during the breeding
summer
 They fly up from the
Southern US and Mexico
 What’s So Threatening?

• Patchy habitats
 More human development can widen the
spaces between parks
 The birds can’t be found in high enough
densities to breed
Patchy Habitat
 Invasive Species

• Migrating birds can be

outcompeted for nest spots, food,
and other resources
 Invasives stay over the winter and
can get “first pick” of breeding areas
 Meet the Invasives

THE FACTS
• Hails from Europe
• Cliff-nesting
• Scary red eyes

Rock Pigeon
 Meet the Invasives

THE FACTS
• Hails from Europe, Asia, Africa
• Cavity-nesting
• Very, very loud

European Starling
 Meet the Invasives

THE FACTS
• Hails from Europe
• Nests everywhere,
including stolen nests
• Permanent resident
• Aggressive competitor
House Sparrow • Innocent-looking
 How to Get Birds

• Birds have basic needs

 Food
 Water
 A home

• To attract birds to your yard you have

to meet all of these needs to some
extent
A Few Urban Downfalls

• Native plants are becoming more rare in

urban and suburban areas
 Exotics are usually perceived as more desirable

• Trees in isolation
 Birds are not a big fan of manicured, flat lawns
Which Would a Bird Choose?

VS.

• Variety, variety, variety!

 Habitat Overview

• Ask yourself, “What will ______ provide

for the birds?”
 Trees
 Shrubs
 Ground plants
 Open areas
 Flowers
 Mimicking

• Research what birds in natural

environments need and mimic in your
yard

• Let it grow!
 All the time
 Over fall and winter
 Imitate scruffy brush with Christmas trees
 Dead is okay
 A Home

• The plants that you include set the

basis for birds you will get
 Medium to tall trees
 Shrubs and bushes
 Vines and flowers
 Grass and leaves
Levels
 A Few Good Trees

• Rocky Mountain Juniper

• Native to southern BC
• Doubles as a tree and shrub
• Good for nesting
• Provides juniper berries for food
• Looks good in a garden
 A Few Good Trees

• What birds can I get with a juniper?

 Chipping sparrow
 Song sparrow
 Evening grosbeak
 Cedar waxwings
 A whole host of warblers
 A Few Good Trees

• Pacific Dogwood
• Native to BC
• Medium to tall tree
• Good for nesting
• Berries for food
• Is beautiful
 A Few Good Trees

• What birds can I get with a dogwood?

 Song sparrow
 Hermit thrush
 Northern flicker
 Downy woodpecker
 Brown thrasher
 A Shrubbery

• Flowering currant
• Native to BC
• Fast-growing
• Berries for food
• Hummingbirds love the flowers
 A Shrubbery

• What birds can I get with a currant?

 Rufous hummingbird
 Anna’s hummingbird
 Cedar waxwing
 How Low Can You Go?

• Crimson columbine
• Native to BC
• Perennial
• Supplies food for hummers
• Beautiful and unique
 The Lowest of Low

• Kinnikinnick or “Vancouver Jade”

• Native to BC
• Groundcover
• Can be draped over walls
• Berries for food
• Nesting site for small birds
 The Lowest of Low

• What birds can I get?

 For berries:
 Cedar waxwing
 Hermit thrush
 Brown thrasher
 Evening grosbeak
 The Lowest of Low

• What birds can I get?

 For seeds:
 Black-capped chickadee
 Dark-eyed junco
 Spotted towhee
 Chipping sparrow
 The Lowest of Low

• What birds can I get?

 To nest:
 House wren
 House finch
 American robin
 Sustenance

• Now that your yard has the perfect

plants, the birds are hungry!

• There are tons of different types of

feeders and food options
 What Feeders Where?

• Feeders are best placed in plant

transition zones
 Where trees end and open area starts

• Keep feeders in an open spot but close

to a safety tree or shrub
 And Now, the Feeders

• Hopper feeders
PROS
• High diversity of birds
• Ground feeders
• Perching feeders

CONS
• Easy access for squirrels
• Large birds push out small birds
 And Now, the Feeders

• Tube feeders
PROS
• Small birds can feed in peace
• Hard for squirrels to get into

CONS
• Lower diversity of birds
 And Now, the Feeders

• Globe feeders
PROS
• Attracts small, clinging birds
• Hard for squirrels to get into

CONS
• Lowest diversity of birds
 Breaking Tradition

• Seed inside a hollow log for ground

feeders

• Sprinkle seed in and around a log pile

• Place seed on a large outdoor table or

plywood sheet
 What Food?

• Different seed will attract different

birds
 Black-oil sunflower seed
 High bird diversity

 Suet
 Insect-eating birds

 Millet
 A Drop to Drink

• Small birds need a lot of water

 A House wren can lose 37% of body
weight in water each day
 Seed eaters need more water than insect-
eaters
 Water on a Pedestal

• The key features of a water bath are:

 Less than 8cm deep and only fill with
5 cm of water
 Rough surface on bottom for grip
 Perching ledge
 Basin is secure on pedestal
 Clean the basin!
 Sound of running water
 Water Where?

• Similar to feeders, place water bath in the

open but close to a safety tree or shrub

• A wet bird is a vulnerable bird

 Home Sweet Home

• Bird boxes may attract birds to nest

• Black-capped chickadees
• Wrens
• Nuthatches
• Swallows
 Home Sweet Home

• Specialty boxes are needed for some birds

 Northern flickers
 Wood ducks
 American kestrels
 Home Sweet Home

• To promote natural nesting:

 Put out small twigs and sticks in your yard
 Keep a small muddy area
 Put out clumps of yarn no longer than 20cm
 The Bad in Life

• Exotic plants with berries spread like

wildfire
 Out-compete native plants

Japanese barberry
 The Bad in Life

• Squirrels are clever and can find ways

of getting into that feeder
Squirrels

The dome is supposed to

prevent squirrels from
reaching the feeder…
 The Bad in Life

• Predatory birds might be attracted to a

birdy backyard

Sharp-shinned hawk
-Hawks have to eat too
-It’s a part of nature
 Cats

• Cats kill hundreds of millions

of birds each year

“Who, me?”
 Debunking the Myths

• Cats do kill birds, even when they are

not hungry
 Yes, even your cat

• Cats do not have to be outside to be

happy
 They are pets, not a natural part of nature
 The Cat Solution

• Cats can be kept inside from birth

 A large window is all the outside they
need
 The Cat Solution

• If your cat is used to being outside:

 Use a screened porch
 Use an outdoor cat cage
 The Cat Solution

• Walk your cat!

 There are many
books on leash
training for cats
 If He’s Just Miserable

• At the very least limit outdoor time to

when birds are least active:
 Winter months
 At night
 When it is very hot
 What Else Can I Do?

• Project FeederWatch
 Run by Cornell Lab of Ornithology
 Gather data on winter feeder birds

• Nature Vancouver Rare Bird Alert

 Report rare birds seen in Metro Vancouver

• Vancouver Christmas Bird Count

• Vancouver Avian Research Centre

 Learn to identify, extract, and band birds!
 Thank You!

• The birds will be grateful