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    31 views18 pages

    Desert Bird Gardening 1

    Uploaded by

    lenny mcready

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF or read online from Scribd
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    of 18
    = Table of Contents INTRODUCTION i 3 ATTRACTING BACKYARD BIRDS ransom PLANTS FOR FOOD PLANTS FOR SHELTER PROVIDING WATER «sem PLANT SELECTION : DESIGN NOTES oc eee BIRD SELECTION... i : SEASONAL VARIATIONS scm : PLANTINGNOTES... Whitetom Acai ‘Acacacanstia Scene eer 1 oar G80 POE neti Deseret Bajar Duster Sogus SS an 10 Desert Hackbery BlueFao Verde Desert Wow SS x 2 The Cetin AONE nner enemas 19 Bite Bush Er 8 nc See mace ‘ssuntover masons 5 Dees ronood haya sca. hota punts species Penstenon Persiemon secs. Deceit Pherae ator Wet esta Prosopis vat. Pyecntha Pracartha spss : Redsage Sahin ego rayon Zips obsio OTHER PLANTS TO CONSIDER, (COMPARATIVE PLANT TABLE. (COMPARATIVE BIRD TABLE. ANPSITAS MISSION STATEMENTS. ‘SPONSORS. CREDITS. 0 a 2 25 28 3 31 32 82 Tis publication on eset bird parcening is collaborative eftet botwoen the Arizona Native Plant Society (ANAS) and Tueson ‘odubon Sociol (TAS). The plats described in this bookat were chason because oftheir usefulness in attactng bicds ana ecause hoy are adapted to contons in the deserts ofthe Souhwast, Fory-tve Species are included, the vast maloiy of which are nalva to tho Sonoran Desert regon. The maining ae noninvasive exis rom oer rid egions. Many ofthe plants are covered in moro depth in oer books in his ANS series, Inaction othe pans, 24 Species of birds commonly seen in Southwestern gardens are Cescited an illusated. There ae mary bid tld guides onthe ‘make for more inlrmaton cn bid dein, ATTRACTING BACKYARD BIRDS ‘acting backyard bids has become a nalonal pastime and is very porular nthe Southwest. However, especialy in warm climes, ‘rational ways of tracting birds (uch a puting ou bidseec) may be harm forthe birds. Where large numbers o bids Congegale al (ne place, suoh asa seed feeder, ceases sometimes spread from one bid to athe. A moe natural nay fo ata birds sto use appropiate plantings, Wat oo irs ned for survival? No two spies have erat the same requirements, bu, ke all will, they reed food, water, and shot. PLANTS FOR FOOD Diferent kinds of bids ea! diferent kinds of food. Necar-feeding birds suchas hummingbids are laced to tubular flowers, of in ‘he ed/range color range. Many birds, including mackingbids and ihashes,chaose fis and beries when thse are avallabe, Other species ike qual, doves, spartons, and inches, consume large ‘antes of sees, 3 Final, insects area major pat ofthe det fr most birds. While certain insects may not be something you plan to aac o your garden, 2 healthy garden will have many insects. Besides butters, bees, and oer polnators at loners, Imumerable ny insects will feed on the stems and leaves. Many ofthese are benef, such as lacawings and adjougs, bon of which eat aphids. Most insects rely ‘do permanent damage to plats and ther numbers ae kept n check partly by wild birds. ‘The use of pesticides in a garden probably wl ot eliminate al of the insects, but it may be unhealthy for he birds who ea the poisoned Insects. Avoid using pesticides, ‘Altough we mention spect fods eaten by bids in his bool, dese birds ae olen very adapable in ther des. In yeas of ile rain, ew flowers and seeds ae araabe. In ower to suvive, bids have learned o eat diferent kinds of food, PLANTS FOR SHELTER Birds need places for nesting places to hide trom predators, and shelter rom te weather Dense tees and shrubs provide cover and Shatter. Almost any type of mature tee isan asset in bird garden Treas provid nesting places, roosting sites, song perches, and food, bier directly through seeds, lowers, or ful or increcty through the insets they tract. Generally, one can att more birds by planting trees and shrubs wth tim, forked brenches for nests, and dense foliage for cover. Thoms, espacialy large ones, a ust for ‘eting pecan. PROVIDING WATER ‘Traitional bicdaths with standing water can spread disease among biré. Daily serubing of birdoath may ote this problem but a betir method isto provide moving water, An ffctve way fo do tis {is @ hookup wth your rip inigaton system. Even alight ow preven birdbth wate fram slagnatng and reduces the chance tat isease-carying organisms will be spread rom one bid to ano. The sound of iping water ay also cach the atrton of birds 2s they pass though. Many birds ke fo bate nas well s ink rom the bath, Wis impartant thal the water be shallow enaugh for some ofthe smaller spaces. Weter canbe provided in a simple csh or Planter bottom but be sue to Keep it clean PLANT SELECTION In selecting the plants fo this booklet, we uses ine flowing cir 1. Low wator use. Alte ans inlude in ‘atively drought tolerant. Those plans rea let aro oe wer ate 0 ‘note as bein suitable forthe mini-oasis. Many ofthese plants wil Took and grow beter it supplemental rigaion is provid during cier periods, 2. Attractiveness to birds. The plans selected ae those most ‘fen used by birds for ther food or shel. ‘3, Suitably in torms of temperature extremes. Most ofthe Plants re adaped tothe climatic extremes of deserts o the South- wes 4, Availabilty. Most ans included in tis booklet are cared by many nurseries and/or botanical gardens. A few may require some searching In designing ary garden, you can harly go wrong by puting in native species. These plants ae already adapedto our local climate, so they dont requie intensive care o excessive watering. Nave bias and ingecs ae already adapted to these plans and ae atactad to them, bird garden canbe almost tly ratve or can be @ mix of ratves and well-chosen exis tal orovde wider range of eeding opportunites. divest of plant material with blooms a erent seasons can provide year-round fod sources, Al plants, including the natives, wl eed supplemental water in oder to become estclisted. Once esiablised (1-2 years), supplemental waar may not be necassay. A few of th plant species listed may continue to equce watering; this fs noted in the plant able athe end o the booklet ‘The species of pans inthis booklet ae arranged inalpabetcal cer by scientific name. You can locate them by common rare sing the Table of Contents, Established English names are used for allbids DESIGN NOTES To create a suocesstl bird garden, tis nat necessary to pul aut you existing plants and sat over. Most ees and shrubs provide a cartain amount of lalige and cover unl new plantings become fstablished, Plating tees and srubs of iferet heights wil accommodate the pretereces of diferent ids. For example, Gambet's Qual spends most fits ime on the ground, soit kes shrubs wih in-lying branches, Haws, onthe oer hand, spend ‘most of theirtime on higher gerches. They need tl rees tom which to spotther re, BIRD SELECTION We have focused on bird that are reasorably common in ban «areas ofthe Southwest. Some species, such as Gambel's Qual, wil be mainly resent in more open areas rte ous of urban areas, Not ll id included in this booklet can be found inal places, For ‘ample, Aber’sTonhee is @ common tachyad bid inthe Phoenix I) 5 and Yura areas; n Tucson its found only in patian environments, You may nol wan! oat all bids to your gardens. Euopean Stating and House Sparrow are non-native bids that ns n cals, and they often dspace ou nate, cvil-nesting bird. Greallod Graces can bea nuisance, as can Rock Does (know to most people as Pigeons). Some kinds of raptors le Coop's and Sharp-shioned hawks, fed on small bids. They may be ataced to your ytd simply because you Tave atactd lois of salle birds, But raptors are a rural pat ofthe ecasystem, SEASONAL VARIATIONS No two kinds of birds rave the evact same requitements for lig Mary ae permanent residents het ll year. Some are to bread in the spring and summer, and others spend ony winters in the des. Sill thers come trough in migration, stopping for ood and shelter ‘on thor way also, PLANTING NOTES. Too much neabess and tidiness may actually make your garden less tacit birds. Remember, brs Ihe ols ol protective cover, ‘Leave shrubs in alr shapes wth branches low othe ground, Don't cutoff spent lowe. When you do so you ae eliminating the sad souice. The eile thal accumulates under res and shrubs alan insects and bids, naditon to roving a ine mich for your pans. Bic tend to be most active inte etly morning and ate afternoon. During the middle ofthe dy hey often res, making sheer ‘an impotant component in your yt. Inersperse rocks amang your plants. Bids te to perch on them, Logs or deat! wood also harbor lls of insect food. Many bids like lo take dus! baths. you have ares of bare ground, wit loosened sai, leave some forte bis uring Dow ANA Whitethorn Acacia ‘Acacia constricta Whitetiom acacia is 2 large sub or smal ee, typically no more tan 8- 0 feet in height, found throughout souteastem ‘zona to Texas and ilo Meco. When in flower and fu, ths plants 2 ‘avoite of many ids. Siral yellow tll of ‘fragrant flowers occur May to September. Verdin, active lite ies wih yllow heeds, vst the lowes, gearing insects and neta. AS the pant grows tale, becomes more active as a Place tones. Vordin nests are Canspiuous, bulky spheres made ‘ol thor twigs, about ne sie of a large sotal, wi the entance low on one sce. Verins may Dull sereal nests and use am for sleeping a wel as for asng young. Sparrows, Pyrulols, and finches may ll fast on the seeds produced by whtthom, Left unpruned an Tow tthe ground, th pant aovdes @ protected place for irs ta hide from preatars. Ve Agave Agave palmeri Agaves mae handsome accent plants with ir roses of succulent leaves. However, tis when hey boom tat toy bacame ost trace to ies. Most agaves lone at 5-20 years, depeeaing onthe Species and the amount of a6 water available. Agave palmer native to New Mexico, Arizona, and Sonora, as a 15-o spike wih pale yellow lowers; as wit her agaves, hese Dooms atract nsects and nacta-eoding birds, ‘Stking orange-and-back male Hooded Orioles make ‘egular vst to feed on the many insects that ae atracted to the agave sla, 8s wel as. onthe nectar tom the flowers. The male Hooded (Oriol has jumbled, musical song. Hurningird wil aso vist he loners to sip the nectar and catch ny insects. Altugh the flowering of the agave i quite spectacular, it also signifies the end of the plant's ie. Almost all agaves ie ater owerng, but many spaces produce “pups” or suckers atthe base of the rset, thus ensuring the suvivl a he species. Desert Marigold Baileya multradiata oa Mary members of the composite plant family are proltc produces of wid birdseed. Desert maigld isa shot-lved perennial thal produces yellow, aisylite flowers inthe sping and fl. waters ‘ara, it wil bloom in ter seasons. The dried seeds ae an excallet food -soute or seed-atng birds ke Inca Dove. These srl, gray birds havea scalloped patlem on their plurage. When thy i, ‘hey fash a reddish brown clot in heir wings and white ott feathers, Toit cll isa sot, whistled “no hope.” Inca Doves ae polite nesters and may bred neatly year round in the desert Southwest Baja Fairy Duster Calliandra californica ich with insect ite and nec, Baja fay ‘duster isan excellent Choice fr the bid garce, twinks re mild andthe lant receives supplemen- {al wate i wil bloom on and ff al year round, ts bright red lower clusters ae vey attractive to Costa's Hummingbirds. Sal ‘even fora humming the adult ‘mal has a purple tt patch and crown, Vercns also visit he owes to fed onthe nec. Verdns and Cacts Wrens may collect the did lower eas to provide a ot ining for thairness. The native fairy Guster, Callndraerophyf, is ‘ow growing with ligt pink lowes and Is aso visited by hummingbirds, but not as enihusistialy. Seeds ofboth lery dusters aro atvacive to ‘ual, doves, and finches, Guavstirmingted OSE arts st _L Saguaro Carnegiea gigantea Holes in the saquro provide nesting sites for several Kinds of birds. The mass of water inthe feshof he plant moderates temperature exvemes, andthe spiny tunk provides protection from predators. Gila Woodpeckers and Gilded Flicors excavate nest cavities in both the main tunk and bvanches. Gia Woodpecker Is a ‘noisy, conspicuous bid wth ‘brown underpars, and black and ite zebra stipes on its back This age columnar cactus is ‘one ofthe most valuable wife plants othe Sonoran Desert Plants mor tan 8 foe al ear il, night-blooming Hawes in May. These mature into ed, edible tit wih tiny back seeds, Nectar and pollen, aswell sfuit and seeds, attact many species of birds, suchas Cuve-iled Thashers, doves, mockingbird, and oils, wason Slade WAL Gilded Flicker, another kind of woodpecker, has a ‘more complicated pattem of spots and tars. When the ick, you can y 222 flash of yellow a ndereath is wings, zg These two woodpeckers z bully se he saguaro i cavities for only one rating season, Atan- honed holes become prime eal esate fora varity of oter cavity nase who donot do their own excavating, Eli Owls and Western Sareech-Owls raise their broods using these holes witout modtica- ‘ion. Puple Mains and ASh-noated and Brown-restedfyatchers may lake more care tomate te nest comfrabe ning it wih asses, ethers, air and bark rages. In more rural satigs, Red-tailed and Haris’s hawks use the large branches to hold thait rests of wigs and sticks. These nests may be used during subsequent Seasons hy Great Horned Os, 10 Desert Hackberry Calis pallida Desert hackbeny isa large shrub tat makes an excelent screening plant. ts siny branches tend to sora, although it can be pruned asa hedge, Wit its dense fom and rergceon loaves, hackbery Provides wonder nesing ses for birds lke he Perla. This ‘eset specialty i elated tothe ‘more widespread Norton Carina, s suggested by is bright whistled Song and pointed ‘esl, However, the male Pyrulia is mostly ray, with accents of red, and his subbier bills yellow, not pink Pyles and cer frt-2tng bits, such as cardinals and ‘mockingbird, feed on the small reddish-orange fs ofthe hackoety. ‘The shade la iter under he su initesground= ‘oraging birds to hunt or inset lerae. Without supplemental ater, bis isa slow-growing plant Rel io desert hachbeny ' tho nti hackbery, Cats recut, a substantial tre hat grows along steams and washes from 2500 lo 6000 fee. This wil need supplemental wate inthe lover desert: however, is wary bark and pendulous branches make it prtculay interesting. in ation to Drovidng shetr and cover the plant produces orange to purple Dorie in tte summer that bids lve. Phos Blue Palo Verde CCercidium floridum This naive legume rows naturally as a rmutple-tunted tree wih widely spreading ranches, rang ian idea oe for resting birds. Mourning ovo, oe of our mast familiar birds, on builds isfy plato of tgs in the palo vor Athough not particulary good acitets, Mourning Doves are vary successful raising young sometimes rearing as many as 5-6 broods par yea. The moutul cooing of bis bird isa famliar sound in the desert Southwest. In Aa, the palo verde produces masses of bight yellow flowers that tract Verdins and oils who feast on nectar and insects, The small thomed twigs form a dense ‘canopy and provide good nightie rooting sis fo many species of bids. i oa Doe Desert Willow Chilopsis linearis Although his te is nota tue willow its long, narrow eaves mae itlook tke one. Desert willow can reach a height of 20 feet, and tom Api through Sepiember it bears a profusion of large white to purple nectar producing toners. Like ther tres, it provides shel for nesting. may also attract birds searching fr insects. Ruby- Crowned Kinga, one of our mason wine avin vistors, fsa small, vary active bi that moves restessy about, foraging for insets among foiaga and branches. As it hops tom ig to twig, constantly ks its wings siighty open and then shut agin, This nevous witching gs ita hyperactive ook, Wales of this species have a ruby red crown path hati hidden mast ofthe ime ‘The male may eects ed con feathers when agitated oF excted by a possible vl, mat, or Predator. Thistle Cirsium neomexicanum This native thistle occurs from 1000 to 6500 feet and is commony found along roadsides where era moisture tends to accumulate, Inthe desert garden itil do best if given extra wae. Considered a weed in many pars of he counky, thistle does not reseed eal inthe desert arden where watering is hep toa ‘minimum. This i bennal wildoner eqitng two yeas to Hower and ir, Te lavender Howes occur from March to September. Lesser Goldinches especialy for thistle seeds. These litle ids are usally found in Small groups. When feding, they look like acrobats hanging upside a a 13 DE | =38 <

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