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© Project SOUND

Out of the Wilds and Into Your Garden

Gardening with California Native Plants in Western L.A. County Project SOUND – 2015 (our 11th year)

© Project SOUND

A Bounty of Birds: common garden birds & how to

attract them

C.M. Vadheim and T. Drake

CSUDH & Madrona Marsh Preserve

Madrona Marsh Preserve

March 7 & 12, 2015

Migrants are a treat

Black-headed grosbeaks (related to the Cardinal) stops by local feeders during fall or spring migration

© Project SOUND

Black-headed Grosbeak

We’re not going to talk about hummingbirds today

See previous hummingbird gardening talks

August, 2014

May, 2009

© Project SOUND

Click on the ‘Out of the Wilds’ page

on Mother Nature’s Backyard Blog

for all lectures back to 2009

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But we are going to talk about some other

common garden birds in the South Bay

Who they are; what they look like

When you can expect to see them

Behavioral characteristics

What they eat; niches

Where they nest

Simple things you can do to attract them to your garden

© Project SOUND

2015: Sustainable Living with California Native Plants

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Ecosystem: a community of living organisms (plants, animals and microbes) in conjunction with the nonliving components of their environment (things like air, water and mineral soil), interacting as a system.

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Your garden is a

little ecosystem

What we are trying to achieve: a healthy

garden ecosystem

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How bird-friendly is your garden ecosystem?

Excellent

Good

Fair

Poor

How do the common birds rate your garden as habitat?

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© Project SOUND

To attract birds we need to understand

their habits & preferences

© Project SOUND

Like butterflies, some birds are ‘picky eaters’

Generalists

Eat many different kinds of food – whatever is available

Well-adapted to different – and changing – environments

Often are common in urban & suburban yards – that’s why many people know them by name

Examples: Crows, Scrub Jays, Robins

http://www.uoguelph.ca/arboretum/WildlifeSightings/WildlifesightNovember06.htm

© Project SOUND

Like butterflies, some birds are ‘picky eaters’

Specialists

Eat selected kinds of foods – at least primarily

Raptors – meat-eaters Insect-eaters Fruit-eaters Seed-eaters

Often very well adapted to a specific environment – have ‘developed together over time’

Often are less common in urban & suburban yards

Examples: Lesser Gold Finch, CA Towhee, Orioles, Tanagers

http://www.calacademy.org/teachers/lounge/?p=624

CA Towhee

Audubon’s Warbler

http://thebirdguide.com/washington/BigDayReport2007.htm

Passerine birds: Order Passeriformes

AKA the ‘perching birds

Over ½ of bird species are in this Order

At least 50 million years old

Have feet specialized for perching: Three toes facing front; one toe

facing back

A tendon from the rear of the leg to the toes automatically causes the foot to curl and become stiff when the bird lands on a branch.

This also enables passerines to sleep while perching without falling off.

© Project SOUND

Most have 12 tail feathers which

help balance when perched

http://www.birdsofseabrookisland.org/images/norton-pics/topo-x.jpg

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The Finches – Family Fringillidae

Passerine birds – ‘perching birds’

Mostly from Northern Hemisphere

Mostly seed-eating songbirds – often also eat some insects & berries

Most exhibit sexual dimorphism; breeding males may be brightly colored

© Project SOUND © Project SOUND

Form follows function

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b4/BirdBeaksA.svg/220px-BirdBeaksA.svg.png

http://www.nps.gov/prsf/naturescience/images/black-phoebe.jpg

http://www.nps.gov/prsf/naturescience/images/crow.jpg

© Project SOUND

SHAPE TYPE ADAPTATION

Cracker Seed eaters like sparrows and finches have

short, thick conical bills for cracking seed.

Shredder Birds of prey like hawks and owls have sharp,

curved bills for tearing meat.

Chisel Woodpeckers have bills that are long and chisel-

like for boring into wood to eat insects.

Probe Hummingbird bills are long and slender for

probing flowers for nectar.

Tweezer Insect eaters like warblers have thin, pointed

bills.

Swiss

Army

Knife

Crows have a multi-purpose bill that allows them

to eat fruit, seeds, insects, fish, and other

animals. http://science.wannajava.net/scienceunits/units/current/01Bird_Feet_and_Beak_Adaptations.pdf © Project SOUND

House finch - Haemorhous

mexicanus

http://www.wilddelight.com/birds/house-finch/

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House finch - Haemorhous mexicanus

Size: moderately-sized finch - 12.5 to 15 cm (4.9 to 5.9 in)

Identifying characteristics: Common on feeders

Adults: Long, square-tipped brown tail

Brown or dull-brown color across the back with some shading into deep gray on the wing feathers.

Breast/belly may be streaked; the flanks usually are.

Adult males: heads, necks and shoulders are reddish.

Song: rapid, cheery warble or a variety of chirps, often ending on a higher note

© Project SOUND

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/30/Carpodacus_mexicanus_-Madison,_Wisconsin,_USA-8.jpg

http://www.nps.gov/prsf/naturescience/images/house-finch.jpg

House finch - Haemorhous mexicanus

Male coloration varies in intensity with the seasons

Coloration is obtained from carotenoid pigments in the berries and fruits in its diet – the birds cannot make these pigments themselves, but convert them to the red pigment Canthaxanthin.

The colors range from pale straw-yellow through bright orange (both rare) to deep, intense red.

Most that we see locally are red to orange-red

© Project SOUND http://www.cod.edu/people/faculty/chenpe/DANADA/

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2302/2216977106_6fc84a1521.jpg

House finch - Haemorhous mexicanus

Range: Original range: Mexico and SW U.S.

Now most places in U.S.

When in our area: year-round

Habitat: Urban/suburban places

Native range/natural habitats : dry desert, desert grassland, chaparral, oak savannah, streamsides, and open coniferous forests at elevations below 6,000 feet.

Conservation status: common/invasive

© Project SOUND

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_finch#mediaviewer/File:Carpodacus_mexicanus_map_history1.svg

House finches eat seeds & fruits

House Finches eat almost exclusively plant materials, including seeds, buds and fruits.

Wild foods: wild mustard seeds, knotweed, thistle, mulberry, poison oak, cactus, and many other species.

In orchards: cherries, apricots, peaches, pears, plums, strawberries, blackberries, and figs.

At feeders: black oil sunflower (over the larger, striped sunflower seeds), millet, nijer and milo – typical bird seed mixture

© Project SOUND

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_finch#mediaviewer/File:Father_House_finch_feeds_baby.jpg

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House finches are opportunistic nesters

In nature: Nest in a variety of deciduous

and coniferous trees

On cactus and rock ledges.

In urban settings In or on buildings, using vents,

ledges, rain gutters, street lamps/traffic lights

Also in climbing ivy and hanging planters.

Occasionally use the abandoned nests of other birds.

© Project SOUND

http://blog.naturetastic.com/2014/05/house-finch-carpodacus-mexicanus-nest.html

Goldfinches - the genus Spinus

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American goldfinch – Spinus (Carduelis) tristus

Size: small - 11–14 cm (4.3–5.5 in) long

Identifying characteristics: short, conical bill on small, head

long wings

short, notched tail

Adult males (spring/summer) bright yellow with black forehead, black wings with white markings, and white patches above & beneath the tail.

Adult females are duller yellow beneath, olive above.

Winter birds are drab, unstreaked brown, with blackish wings and two pale wingbars.

© Project SOUND

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/PHOTO/LARGE/american_goldfinch_glamour12.jpg

http://tgreybirds.com/AmericanGoldfinch26.jpg

Telling the

goldfinches apart

American Goldfinch Slightly larger

Males: black ‘half-cap’

Yellow back

Tail has more white

Pink bill; pinkish legs/feet

Lesser Goldfinch Males: completely black cap

Dull green/gray back

Dark tail

Darker gray beak

© Project SOUND

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_goldfinch#mediaviewer/File:Carduelis-tristis-001.jpg

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Lesser Goldfinch – Spinus (Carduelis) psaltria

Size: tiny (smallest true finch) - 9 to 12 cm (3.5 to 4.7 in)

Identifying characteristics:

Stubby bill – gray

Long, pointed wings; short, notched tails

Males: bright yellow below with a glossy black

cap and white patches in the wings;

Backs can be glossy black or dull green (particularly on the West Coast).

Black tail with large, white corners.

Females and immatures: Olive backs, dull yellow underparts,

Black wings with two whitish wingbars.

© Project SOUND

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Carduelis_psaltria_fe

male.jpg

Lesser Goldfinch – Spinus psaltria

Range: SW U.S., Mexico to parts of northern S. America

When in our area: year-round if near natural areas – short-distance migration in spring/fall

Habitat:

Open fields, budding treetops, and the brush of open areas and edges.

May concentrate in mountain canyons and desert oases

Fairly common in suburbs.

Conservation status: not rare; may be increasing numbers

© Project SOUND http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Lesser_Goldfinch/id

Lesser goldfinch: primarily eats seeds

Eats mostly small seeds and grains, both in wilds and at bird feeders.

Usually gets seeds that are still on the plant. Its long legs and claws help it easily perch on plants.

Also eat coffeeberry, elderberry, and madrone fruits; buds of cottonwoods, alders, sycamores, willows, and oaks.

Feed in small groups, moving through plants to get to the seeds, buds, flowers or fruits.

Don't nest until mid-to late summer when there are lots of seeds available.

© Project SOUND

Goldfinches: active & gregarious

© Project SOUND

A quick little bird, constantly hovering about and jerking its tail while feeding.

Dipping, bouncy flight like the American Goldfinch.

Gregarious, forming large flocks at feeding sites and watering holes. Sometimes mixed flocks with other songbirds in wild.

Easy to attract with nyjer seed in a feeding sock - to protect Goldfinches from contagious diseases, keep the ground under feeders well-raked.

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Best bets for goldfinches: Sunflowers

Cobwebby thistle – Cirsium occidentales

CA bush sunflower – Encelia californica Bracted gumplant - Grindelia camporum Coastal gumplant - Grindelia hirsutula Sawtooth Goldenbush - Hazardia squarrosa Sneeze plant/Rosilla - Helenium puberulum

Annual sunflower – Helianthus annuus Coast goldenbush - Isocoma menziesii Goldfields – Lasthena spp

Tidytips - Layia platyglossa Goldenrods – Solidago , Euthamia spp.

Hooker’s evening primrose – Oenothera elata ssp. hookeri

© Project SOUND

Annual (Common) Sunflower - Helianthus annuus

Managing annual

sunflowers

Easy to grow

Like well-drained, neutral to slightly alkaline soil

Full sun

Average to little water – don’t over-water

Tall – may require support

Will readily re-seed (if the birds don’t take all the seeds)

Birds are attracted by the flocks in fall…

Bird species include: American Goldfinch

Lesser goldfinch

Dove

Sparrow

And many, many more

Small animals also eat the seeds Ground squirrels

Pocket mice

Many others

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Grow Annual Sunflower from seed

Easy to grow

Little seedlings transplant easily – or plant seed in the ground

Sow seed every three weeks for a succession of flowers throughout the summer

Steve Hurst @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database

Consider choosing season-spanning

sunflowers for year-round food

Winter-spring

Encelias – Bush sunflowers

Mulefat

Grindelias - Gumplants

Annual wildflowers: Gold fields

Tidytips

Summer-fall

Annual Sunflowers

Rosilla (Helenium)

Telegraph plant

Goldenrods

Goldenbushes

Coyote bush © Project SOUND

Hutchinsonian

niche

Hutchinsonian niche: an n-dimensional hypervolume of conditions and resources

Fundamental niche: what an organism's niche would be in the absence of competition from other species.

Realized niche: The niche that a species actually inhabits, taking into account interspecific competition

How would you define the niche of the Lesser Goldfinch?

© Project SOUND http://science.kennesaw.edu/~jdirnber/ecology/Lecture/LecComEcol/LecComEcolCom

p/LecCommEcolComp.html © Project SOUND

What every bird needs: the basics

Food

Shelter

Water

http://aquafornia.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/garden-tour-2.jpg

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But what happens when several bird

species use the same food source?

© Project SOUND

Sometimes they share resources: resource

partitioning

Definition: two species dividing a niche to avoid competition

Spatial partitioning: two competing species use the same resource by occupying different areas or habitats

Example: two species of birds utilizing sunflower seeds

One harvesting seeds from the plants [Goldfinches]

Another foraging the seeds from the ground [Doves]

© Project SOUND

Ways to Create Multiple Niches in the

same Habitat

Temporal: noctural vs. diurnal animals, owls and hawks each feed on rodents but at different times

Spatial: Warbler example, use different spaces within a habitat (even the same tree)

Functional: Extract different resources, woodpeckers eat insects, finches eat nuts

© Project SOUND

http://nre509.wikidot.com/niche-and-resource-utilization

Pigeons & Doves: Order: Columbiformes;

Family: Columbidae

~ 310 species worldwide; most species in SE Asia, Australia

Stout bodies, short necks, and short, slender bills

Feed on seeds, fruits, and plants

Young are called ‘squabs’

Both parents feed squabs with ‘crop milk’

© Project SOUND

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurasian_collared_dove

Eurasian Collared Dove – non-native

species seen in S.California

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Mourning Dove - Zenaida macroura

© Project SOUND

Mourning Dove - Zenaida macroura

Size: medium (12 inches long)

Identifying characteristics: Plump-bodied and long-tailed, with

short, pink legs

Small bill; dark eyes; head looks small in comparison to the body

Delicate brown to buffy-tan overall, with black spots on the wings and black-bordered white tips to the tail feathers.

Well-camouflaged

Call: hoo-HOO-hoo-hoo

Wings make sharp whistling sound when stake off

© Project SOUND

Mourning Dove - Zenaida macroura

Range: central Canada through Central America

When in our area: year-round; migratory in some parts of U.S.

Habitat: Open fields

Backyards with open places and taller cover

Conservation status: Common (the most common game

bird); numbers have declined slightly since 1996 in the West.

High mortality - to 58% a year for adults and 69% for the young.[

© Project SOUND http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/mourning_dove/lifehistory

Mourning Dove: Mostly seed-eaters

Seeds make up 99% of diet

Eat roughly 12 to 20 percent of their body weight per day

Swallow grit (fine gravel or sand) to assist with digestion

Like bigger seeds: lupines, pine nuts, sunflower seeds, cultivated grains, buckwheat and even peanuts, as well as wild grasses, weeds, herbs, and occasionally berries. They sometimes eat snails and insects.

They may act as seed dispersers for certain fruiting plants that they feed upon.

© Project SOUND

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Observing doves in your yard

Natural feeding/behavior: Forage seeds on the ground (peck

like a chicken) – fill their crop, then fly to safe perch to digest the meal

Males have favorite cooing perches

Will water bathe and dust-bathe

Also sun- or rain-bathe – stretch out wing for minutes at time

At feeders: Will feed at platform feeders

Very cautious; easy to scare

Strong fast flyer - capable of speeds up to 55 mph.

© Project SOUND

Nesting in your yard

Typically nests amid dense foliage on the branch of an evergreen, orchard tree, mesquite, cottonwood, or mature vine.

Also quite commonly nests on the ground, particularly in the West.

May even nest in gutters, eaves, or abandoned equipment.

Both parents incubate and care for the young – up to 6 broods a year (2 squabs per brood)

Tips on building a nesting cone on Cornell Ornithology Labs ‘All About Birds’

© Project SOUND

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mourning_dove

Best bets for Doves

Annual sunflowers, Encelias

Lupines

Buckwheats

Crotons

Euphorbs

Ragweed

Grasses & sedges

Rhamnus

Rhus trilobata

Roosting/nesting cover: coniferous and deciduous trees, brushy thickets, dead snags. Hedgerows and shelterbelts also provide excellent roosting sites for mourning doves.

Fresh surface water in puddles, ponds, or streams

© Project SOUND

Like open feeding areas – bare ground

How does the Dove niche differ from that

of the finches?

© Project SOUND

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Succulent Lupine - Lupinus succulentis

© Project SOUND

Truncated/Collared Annual Lupine – Lupinus truncatus

© Project SOUND

Truncated Lupine is a small/mid-size lupine

Size:

1-2 ft tall & wide (usually ~ 1 ft)

Growth form: Somewhat conical – kind of like a

pine tree

Foliage: Typical lupine gray-green

Typical lupine leaves – but with trucated leaflets (hence its common name)

Roots: Tap-root; best if seeded in ground

Like all lupines, have symbiotic relationship with nitrogen-fixing bacteria

© Project SOUND

Truncated Lupine –

lovely flowers

Blooms: usually March-April in S. Bay

Flowers: Sparsely distributed on spike

well-above foliage

Color: violet-purple to magenta; becomes darker after pollination

Fragrant

Pollinated usually be larger bees

Seeds: Relatively large; mottled brown

In hairy pods that break apart explosively, flinging the seeds

Eaten by doves, quail

http://www.researchlearningcenter.com/bloom/species/Lupinus_truncatus.htm

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© Project SOUND

Growing Lupines from seed: a few little

tricks

Lupine seeds have a hard seed coat; something needs to breach it to begin germination process

In nature: Exposure to fire, acidic

soils/water

The home grower: Hot water bath for 12 hours Plant out when a rain is

expected; rainwater completes the ‘miracle’ of initiating germination

http://www.hazmac.biz/040614/040614LupinusHirsutissimus.html

Once established, lupines will

reseed well in most gardens.

However they will only germinate

in ‘favorable’ years.

Reasons to include annual lupines in your

garden

Quick-growing annuals; good fillers

Showy flowers

Fragrant

Reliable – relatively easy to grow

Require little care

Drought tolerant after established

Help improve soil nitrogen

Self-seed

Habitat value: pollinators & seed-eaters

Theodore Payne Garden Tour

© Project SOUND

Sparrows, Towhees & Juncos: Family

Emberizidae

Most forage & nest on the ground.

Most are seed-eaters - have short, thick bills adapted for this diet

Also eat insects and other arthropods at times, and feed them to their young.

They are typically monogamous. Females generally build the nests and incubate the eggs and young, but both parents feed the young.

Many of these birds are small, brown, and streaked, and stay close to cover, making identification challenging.

© Project SOUND

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark-eyed_junco

Slate-colored Junco –

sometimes seen in local

gardens

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© Project SOUND

Why eat seeds?

Readily available – formerly in large numbers (plants have to produce many seeds to insure reproduction)

Seeds are ‘super food’ – lots of bang for the buck

The bulk of most seeds consist of stored food – needed by the seedling

That stored food is calorie-dense – fats, oils, starches

Both plants & animals can digest that food – animals share lots of basic enzymes with plants

It’s not surprising that many migratory birds eat seeds

http://asweknowit.net/images_edu/DWA%205%20plant%20seed.jpg

House sparrow – Passer domesticus

Native to Europe – can compete with native species

Almost always found where people are

Food sources Bird feeders

Scavenging for crumbs at fast food joints & outdoor restaurants

Seeds (grass & other)

Insects

Prefers to nest in manmade structures

© Project SOUND

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Passer_domesticus#mediaviewer/File:Passer_domesticus_-California,_USA-8.jpg

White-crowned sparrow – Zonotrichia leucophrys

© Project SOUND

White-crowned sparrow – Zonotrichia leucophrys

Size: large for sparrow - 18 cm (7 in) long

Identifying characteristics: Small pale pink/yellow bill and a

long tail.

Pinkish-orange legs, feet

Head can look distinctly peaked or smooth and flat

Adult: Pale-gray and brown

Very bold black-and-white stripes on the head

Juvenile: Head stripes brown rather than

black © Project SOUND

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White-crowned Sparrow

Range: N. America

When in our area: Winter: Oct-March

Alaskan White-crowned Sparrows migrate about 2,600 miles to winter in S. California.

Habitat: mix of brush with open or grassy ground for foraging. Short grass or open areas adjacent to

woodlands, hedgerows, or brush piles.

Hedgerows, desert scrub, brushy areas, wood edges, and feeders

Usually in small flocks

Conservation status: common but numbers declined by 1/3 from 1966 to 2010.

© Project SOUND

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/white-crowned_sparrow/lifehistory

White-crowned sparrows eat a wide

variety of foods Eat mainly seeds of native plants,

weeds and grasses

Also eat grains such as oats, wheat, barley, and corn and smaller nuts (pine nuts)

Fruit including elderberries and blackberries.

Young ‘greens’ – annual wildflower seedlings, fruit-tree flower buds, young bulb leaves/stalks

In summer (not here) eat considerable numbers of caterpillars, wasps, beetles, and other insects

© Project SOUND

Plenty of opportunity for observation

Natural feeding/behavior: At the edges of brushy habitat,

hopping on the ground or on branches usually below waist level.

Also on open ground but typically with the safety of shrubs or trees nearby.

Well-camouflaged

Hop and ‘double scratch’ to feed

At feeders: Need platform feeder

Wait patiently at dawn for you to put out food

As likely to feed under the feeder as on it

Need nearby trees/shrubs for safety

© Project SOUND

Pretty song: dialect

learned early in life

Best bets for White-crowned Sparrows

Blue elderberry

Native wildflowers Tidy-tips

Lasthenia

Gilias

Hooker’s

Clarkias

Miner’s lettuce

Dotseed plantain

Native grasses, sedges

Need leaf litter or thin mulch

© Project SOUND

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© Project SOUND

Dotseed Plantain – Plantago erecta

©Gary A. Monroe. Catalina Island, Los Angeles Co., CA. May 2, 2003

© Project SOUND

Dot-seed Plantain is a sure thing…..with

winter water and summer drought

Found throughout CA in vernal pools and depressions in dunes, grasslands, coastal prairies

Not particular about soil texture, pH

Full sun-partial shade

Does need good winter water – will not germinate without it

No summer water

Like many annuals, does best in slightly disturbed soils

Doesn’t compete well with alien annual grasses

Dot-seed plantain was a major grain food for native Californians

© Project SOUND

Dot-seed Plantain is a great butterfly

habitat plant – larval food source

http://angelo.berkeley.edu/Photographs/Jessie/Checkerspot.jpg

Checkerspots

Common Buckeye

http://www.duhons.net/Common%20Buckeye%207%20CP.jpg

© Project SOUND

Dotseed plantain and other annuals are an

important source of seeds for ground-foraging birds

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Giant Rye Grass - Leymus condensatus

http://www.timetotrack.com/jay/ryegw.htm

Giant Rye Grass - Leymus condensatus

http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?Leymus+condensatus

http://www.bfs.claremont.edu/biota/plants.html

Distribution: western US; coastal CA and Mojave desert

Habitat: dunes, dry plains and slopes, grasslands, creekbeds

Large (3-8 ft tall), densely-clumping perennial grass with long, blue-green leaves

Flowers borne on plume-like stems above leaves

Giant Rye Grass Animal uses:

Good browse and graze Food for butterflies (larva)

and other insects Birds: nest site, cover and

lots of seed for food

Human uses:

Seeds Can be cooked or ground into

flour and eaten

Leaves Medicinal – eye infections Mats, baskets, rope, paper,

roof thatches

Stems Arrow shafts

http://www.elnativogrowers.com/Photographs_page/leco.htm

Giant Rye: drama in

the garden

Background plant: nice contrast with other natives

Specimen - Pampas Grass substitute

Windbreaks/ informal ‘hedges’

Hillsides

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Smaller, grayer variant of Giant Rye (from Prince’s Island) More adaptable to landscape – can be sheared Uses:

Accent plant; container plant Hedging Border plant Natural gardens, meadows

“Canyon Prince” cultivar is a garden favorite Managing grasses for bird/animal habitat

Leave seeding stems on plants until seeds are ripe/have fallen

If harvest before all seeds are eaten, place seeds where birds can eat them

Use signage to explain your pruning strategy (e.g. creating bird habitat)

Cut back plants (hard) when they becoming un-productive (usually every 3-4 years)

Cool season grasses – fall

Warm season grasses - spring

© Project SOUND

California Towhee – Melozone (Pipilo) crissalis

© Project SOUND

California Towhee – Melozone (Pipilo) crissalis

Size: large for a sparrow - 20–25 cm (7.9–9.8 in) in length [medium-sized bird]

Identifying characteristics:

Large sparrows, with a sparrow’s short, rounded wings, long tail

Thick, seed-cracking beak – but towhees are larger and bulkier that most sparrows.

Brown-gray

Throat & under-parts may have some orange/buff

Distinctive ‘necklace’ of brown spots

© Project SOUND

Plain & secretive bird: most

likely you’ll hear it’s call – a

sharp, metallic ‘chink’ (‘peenk’;

"chink-chink-ink-ink-ink-ink-ink-

ink".) [bouncing ball call]

Duet to defend territory &

maintain contact

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California Towhee – Melozone (Pipilo) crissalis

Range: Coastal N. America from OR to Baja

When in our area: year-round

Habitat: Chaparral, Coastal Sage Scrub, Oak

Woodland, Desert riparian

Live amid manzanita, buckthorn, madrone, foothill pines, and a variety of oaks

Backyards and neighborhood parks of lowland California

Conservation status: common & stable in most of range

© Project SOUND

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/california_towhee/id

Towhee diet:

seeds +

Mostly seeds from many kinds of grasses and forbs

Also berries: elderberry, coffeeberry, poison oak, acorns

‘Steal’ tender peas and lettuce, as well as fruit from orchards (plums, apricots are favorites).

Supplement diet with insects (mostly beetles, grasshoppers; also spiders, millipedes, and snails) during the breeding season.

At feeders : eats millet, cracked corn, peanuts, nuts, other seeds.

© Project SOUND

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pipilo_crissalis_(1).jpg

Note how many native birds have

adapted to new food sources

© Project SOUND

California Towhee – Melozone (Pipilo) crissalis

Towhees feed on seeds and insects within the leaf litter or occasionally on berries or seeds on bushes (strip the seeds off a grass stalk).

Forages in the leaf litter using the classic towhee foraging maneuver, the double-scratch.

They lunging forward and then quickly hopping backward, scratching at the ground with both feet.

If an insect moves, the bird is poised to pounce on it (or uncovered seeds).

The California Towhee likes dense cover and leaf litter. Leaf litter is good for many birds as well as most California native plants.

Attracting CA Towhees to your yard

The California Towhee likes dense cover and leaf litter.

Consider planting a large shrub or hedge/hedgerow for cover, nest sites

Some food plants to consider: Rhamnus/Frangula or other fruiting

shrubs/trees

Fragaria spp (strawberries)

Ribes spp (currants & gooseberries)

Seeds Native grasses

Asteraceae (Sunflower family)

Other wildflowers © Project SOUND

3/7/2015

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Nature can be messy & complex

© Project SOUND

Habitat gardens need to balance the needs for

complexity and neatness

CA towhees more likely to nest in the wild

California Towhees typically build their nests in a low fork (3-12 feet high) in a shrub/small tree.

Ceanothus,

Coffeeberry, and other shrubs of the chaparral;

Willow

Eucalyptus and many other ornamental shrubs and trees.

March through September

A bulky cup made of twigs, stems, grasses, and hair

© Project SOUND

Photo by Harold Greeney

Young leave the nest after

just 8 days

© Project SOUND

CA Coffeeberry – Frangula (Rhamnus) californica

USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database

© Project SOUND

Plenty of cultivars: most of them low-growing compared to the species

‘Eve Case’

http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/rhamnus-californica-eve-case

‘Mound San Bruno’

http://www.smgrowers.com/products/pla

nts/plantdisplay.asp?plant_id=1850

‘Leatherleaf’

http://www.yerbabuenanursery.com/viewplant.php?pid=0521

‘Salt Point’

http://www.calfloranursery.com/pages_plants/pages_r/rhacalsalpoi.html

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3040/2330631124_56f79b4717.j

pg?v=0

3/7/2015

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© Project SOUND

Coffeeberry can be used in so many ways…

For erosion control on slopes; great combined with other CSS or chaparral plants

As an accent plant; beauty and habitat in one plant

For backs of mixed beds

Under oaks; great for sun/shade transition zones

Particularly suited for hedging: Formal or informal hedges,

screens

As a partner in hedgerows

http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/rhamnus-californica

The Songbirds: sub-order Passeri

Sub-order (clade) of the Perching birds (Passeriformes)

Over 4000 species world-wide

Evolved 50 million years ago in the part of Gondwana (broke up to form Australia, New Zealand, Antactica & other islands)

Key feature: they sing with sometimes elaborate songs

Territorial: use song to Indicate location

During courtship - attract females

Signal territory

© Project SOUND

Yellow-rumped warbler - Setophaga coronata

© Project SOUND

Yellow-rumped warbler - Setophaga coronata

(audubonii) Size: 12 to 15 cm (4.5 to 6 in.) long

Identifying characteristics: Full-bodied warbler with large head,

sturdy bill, and long, narrow tail

Summer male : slate blue back, yellow throat, and yellow crown, rump and flank patch. It has white tail patches, and the breast is streaked black.

Summer female: similar pattern, but the back and breast streaks are brown.

Winter birds are paler brown, with bright yellow rump and throat; usually some yellow on the sides.

Song: trill-like song of 4–7 syllables (tyew-tyew-tyew-tyew,tew-tew-tew)

© Project SOUND

3/7/2015

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Male in breeding plumage

© Project SOUND

Yellow-rumped (Audubon’s) warbler -

Setophaga coronata (audubonii)

Range: North America; Audubon’s form in West

When in our area: mostly fall/winter, but may be year-round; southern individuals less likely to migrate than northern ones.

Habitat: In summer: open coniferous forests and

edges, and to a lesser extent deciduous forests.

In fall and winter : open woods and shrubby habitats, including coastal vegetation, parks, home gardens.

Conservation status: common and widespread

© Project SOUND

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/yellow-rumped_warbler/id

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Setophaga_auduboni#mediaviewer/File:Dendroica_coronata_auduboni_map.svg

Audubon’s Warbler: varied diet

Insects: caterpillars/other larvae, leaf beetles, bark beetles, weevils, ants, scale insects, aphids, grasshoppers, caddisflies, craneflies, and gnats, as well as spiders.

Plant foods: On migration/winter: eat great numbers of

fruits, particularly wax myrtle, which their digestive systems are uniquely suited among warblers to digest.

Other commonly eaten fruits include juniper berries, poison oak, grapes, elderberries and dogwood.

Also eat wild seeds such as from native grasses and goldenrod.

May come to hanging feeders, where they'll take sunflower seeds, raisins, peanut butter, and suet.

© Project SOUND

Charming to watch

Natural feeding/behavior: Glean insects from

leaves/branches

Dart out to catch insects on the wing

Eat dried berries on tree

Will drink/take a bath in a birdbath or shallow pond

At feeders: Like hanging feeders best

Very cautious; more aggressive birds may scare them off, but they return

© Project SOUND

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Good bets for attracting ‘butter butts’

CA Wax myrtle – Morella (Myrica) californica

Fruiting trees & shrubs Sambucus nigra cerulea - Blue

elderberry

Fruit trees (especially like the winter-deciduous)

Large native shrubs that retain fruits: Toyon; Manzanitas

Other large shrubs

Fruiting vines Grapes

Honeysuckles

© Project SOUND © Project SOUND

* Pacific (CA) Wax Myrtle – Morella (Myrica) californica

© Project SOUND

Wax Myrtles can be

used in many ways

As a specimen plant, accenting colors, fruits, aroma

Trained into a small shade tree; woodsy feel

As a foundation plant

Mixed with other coastal shrubs in coastal gardens; tolerates salt-spray, winds

In medicinal garden: tea from ground bark used for colds, skin infections http://gardenoflamancha.blogspot.com/2008/01/myrica-californica.html

Wash off the dust every week or so to

keep it happy in summer © Project SOUND

But Wax Myrtle really

shines as a hedge plant

Large informal hedges, windbreaks

Clipped formal hedges, screens

As a foundation plant for a hedgerow

http://gardenoflamancha.blogspot.com/2008/01/myrica-californica.html

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Pink Honeysuckle – Lonicera hispidula var. vacillans

© Project SOUND © Project SOUND

Our local honeysuckles are vine-like

shrubs (or woody vines)

Size: vines 5-18 ft. long

Fast growing

Relatively long-lived: 15-20 years

Deciduous with paired, rounded fuzzy leaves –autumn foliage color

Cannot climb without support – rather creeps or sprawls over other plants

http://www.santabarbarahikes.com/flowers/index.php?action=show_item&id=213&search=

© Project SOUND

A honeysuckle with

pink flowers…

Blooms Apr-July

Pink-lavender and white flowers – typical Honeysuckle

Flowers in showy clusters at ends of flowering stalks

Flowers are scented Provide a good nectar source for

hummingbirds, bees & butterflies

© Project SOUND

Berries are edible – enjoyed by birds

Berries in summer/fall

Bright red – in showy clusters – can be dramatic

Fruits edible – with a little sweetner

Fruit-eating birds will take care of them for you

http://www.backyardnature.net/n/09/091004.htm

http://blog.duncraft.com/2010/08/10/feed-fruit-and-berries-to-your-birds/

Cedar waxwing

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© Project SOUND

Native honeysuckles: perfect for shade, clay

Light: probably best in part-shade – but can take full sun to shade

Soils: any well-drained, including clays

Water:

drought tolerant but can tolerate seasonal flooding

Moderate to none in summer once established

Nutrients: low requirements, but may benefit from organic mulch

http://www.baynatives.com/plants/Lonicera-hispidula/

Versatile native honeysuckles

On fences or trellises – they need something to grow on

Over an arbor or pergola; great addition to scented garden & excellent habitat plants

As a groundcover; in hedgerows

© Project SOUND

http://www.thegardenhelper.com/psd/lonicera_hh.jpg

Bushtit - Psaltriparus minimus

© Project SOUND http://nathistoc.bio.uci.edu/birds/passeriformes/Psaltriparus%20minimus/

Bushtit - Psaltriparus minimus

Size: tiny – about 4.3 inches

Identifying characteristics: gray-brown to greenish-gray

overall – lighter beneath

large head, a short neck, a long tail, and a short stubby bill.

male has dark eyes and the adult female, yellow.

Coastal forms have a brown "cap"

The only species of long-tailed tit in North America.

© Project SOUND

http://www.birdforum.net/opus/Bushtit

http://indianapublicmedia.org/amomentofscience/files/2011/01/011_bushtit1-940x626.jpg

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Bushtit - Psaltriparus minimus

Range: western N. America from British Columbia to Central America

When in our area: year-round; more noticeable in fall/winter when travel in flocks of 20-30+

Habitat: chaparral, oak forest, pinyon-juniper

and pine-oak woods

streamside groves in dry areas

parks and gardens with large trees

elevations from sea level to over 11,000 feet

Conservation status: common; stable numbers

© Project SOUND

http://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/bushtit

Bushtits are a gardener’s best friend

Insects : mostly small insects and spiders

Feeds on a wide variety of tiny insects, especially leafhoppers, treehoppers, aphids, scale insects, caterpillars, and beetles; also wasps, ants, and many others, including eggs and pupae of many insects.

They less frequently eat plant material, but have been seen eating olives, small berries and willow seeds.

© Project SOUND

http://ibc.lynxeds.com/photo/bushtit-psaltriparus-minimus/part-large-flock-was-very-actively-foraging-bush-

bush

Bushtits are wonderful to watch

Very tame and fearless of humans

Natural feeding/behavior:

Very active and gregarious, foraging in single or mixed-species feeding flocks

Constant communication – call sounds like little ringing bells

Move constantly, often hanging upside down to pick at insects or spiders on the undersides of leaves.

Sip water from drops on leaves

Generally don’t feed at feeders; may visit hanging suet block to glean insects, spiders

© Project SOUND

http://sutroforest.com/2010/03/29/sutro-forest-birds/

May move to higher

elevations after breeding

Nesting in your yard? Yes if you have trees

Nest sites on branches or trunks of trees from 8 to 100 feet up

Very unusual hanging nest, shaped like a soft pouch or sock, from moss, spider webs, and grasses.

Adult male ‘helpers’ help raise the young (very unusual among birds)

All Bushtit family members sleep together in the hanging nest during the breeding season. Once the young fledge, they all leave the nest and thereafter sleep on branches

© Project SOUND

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_bushtit#mediaviewer/File:Bushtit_Nest.JPG

Not strongly territorial; tolerate other Bushtits even near nest.

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Bushtits like any plants with small insects

Any tree or large shrub, including fruit trees [citrus]

Fruiting vines

Especially like: Mulefat

Ceanothus

Coyote bush

Mountain mahogany

Native Junipers

Native pines

Native oaks

© Project SOUND

http://nathistoc.bio.uci.edu/birds/passeriformes/Psaltriparus%20minimus/

© Project SOUND

Mulefat – Baccharis salicifolia

© Project SOUND

Mulefat: interesting bush Sunflower

Size: 6-10 ft tall

6-8 ft wide

Growth form: Large, woody shrub

Many long stems

Vase-shaped or rounded

Foliage: Drought deciduous

Bright/medium green, sticky, aromatic

Leaves shaped like willow leaves

Roots: mostly fibrous – some may be deeper

© Project SOUND

Separate male, female plants

Blooms: Off & on depending on water

from Feb-Oct.

May be a good spring bloom

Flowers: dioecious; insect pollinated

Male flower heads:

May be pink or cream

Look like ‘fireworks’

Female flower heads:

Also pinkish or white

Looks like a soft little brush

Seeds (female plants) : small with fluffy ‘sail’ – wind distributed

female

male

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Mule Fat provides many important

resources to the local ecosystem

Habitat considerations

Butterfly and bee nectar plant; other insects eat leaves

Good perches for birds

Shelter/nest site for birds, small mammals and reptiles

Attracts seed-eating birds (especially finches)

Attracts insect-eating birds

http://www.fireflyforest.com/flowers/whites/white21.html

© Project SOUND

Mulefat makes a fine large shrub

As a background shrub – even in narrow places

As a shade ‘tree’

In a habitat hedgerow; one of the best all-round habitat plants

In a locally-native garden

Tyrant Flycatchers – family Tyrannidae

Largest family of birds on earth, with over 400 known species

Live in the Americas

Most, but not all, species are rather plain (various hues of brown, gray and white commonplace)

Some species have erectile crests on their heads.

Mostly insectivores – sally forth to catch flying insects

Extremely variable habitats

© Project SOUND http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Say%27s_phoebe#mediaviewer/File:Sayornis_saya_6.jpg -Linda Tanner

Say’s Phoebe

Black Phoebe - Sayornis nigricans

© Project SOUND

3/7/2015

30

Black Phoebe - Sayornis nigricans

Size: small 16 cm (6-7 inches); medium size for flycatcher

Identifying characteristics: Small, plump songbirds with large

heads and medium-long, squared tails.

They often show a slight peak at the rear of the crown. The bill is straight and thin

Mostly sooty gray on the upperparts and chest, with a slightly darker black head.

The belly is clean white, and the wing feathers are edged with pale gray.

© Project SOUND

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_phoebe#mediaviewer/File:Sayornis_nigricans_NBII.jpg

Black Phoebe - Sayornis nigricans

Range: S. OR, coastal CA, AZ, NM to S. America (mostly western coast)

When in our area: year-round; may migrate slightly North or to higher elevations in summer.

Habitat: Closely associated with water sources:

cliffs/beaches, riverbanks, lake shorelines, ephemeral ponds, parks, backyards, even cattle tanks.

Require a source of mud for nest building.

Conservation status: numerous & increasing; adapt well to urban/suburban environments. Need wetland Preserves.

© Project SOUND

Black Phoebes are insectivores

Eat arthropods almost exclusively: bees, wasps, flies, beetles, bugs,

grasshoppers, damselflies, dragonflies, termites, and spiders.

Perch less than 7 feet off the ground or the water; keep a sharp eye out for prey. Once they spot something, they sally from perches to either take prey from the air, glean it as it crawls, or snatch it from the surface of a pond.

Sometimes snatch minnows from the surface of ponds.

Occasionally eat small berries

© Project SOUND

http://www.edhat.com/site/tidbit.cfm?nid=55823

Help keep those pesky

flying insects at bay!

Black Phoebes: fun to watch

Not really afraid of humans – like to be near human structures Poop on perches (chairs; etc.)

Will try to nest in human structures

They sit upright, in the open on low perches, to scan for insects, often keeping up a running series of shrill chirps.

Make short, quick flights to catch insects.

They pump their tails up and down incessantly when perched.

© Project SOUND

http://www.birdinginformation.com/birds/tyrant-flycatchers/black-phoebe/

Song: repeated tee-hee, tee ho.

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Attracting Phoebes to your yard

Need a source of water/mud

Like low perches

Plant native plants that attract plenty of flying insects:

Native trees – Blue elderberry

Mulefat

Goldenbushes

Buckwheats

© Project SOUND

Make a nesting platform

http://www.50birds.com/birdhouse-plans/phoebe-nesting-platform.htm

http://www.50birds.com/birdhouse-plans/phoebe-nesting-platform.htm

Insecticides & birds: there’s a connection

Insecticides kill food sources for insect-eating birds

Insect-eating birds concentrate pesticides from the many insects they eat – effects can be bad

© Project SOUND

Native ‘pest controllers’ control many insects on native plants

Nesting in your yard: entirely possible

Pairs monogamous; very territorial

The male Black Phoebe gives the female a tour of potential nest sites, hovering in front of each likely spot for 5 to 10 seconds.

Female makes the final decision and does all the nest construction.

Nest is a mud shell lined with plant fibers, plastered to a vertical wall within an inch or two of a protective ceiling

May re-use nest for several years

© Project SOUND

The chicks fledge in 14-21

days. The female may have

2-3 broods a year.

© Project SOUND

The Corvids - Family

Corvidae

> 120 species

Contains the crows, ravens, rooks, jackdaws, jays, magpies and nutcrackers

Large to medium-sized birds; smart and social

Omnivores – including human food

Most people can recognize at least a few members

http://pomofo.tumblr.com/post/82163220945/ofpaperandponies-crow-vs-raven-by-paso-ravens

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© Project SOUND

Some birds have unique relationships

with specific plants…

http://www.laspilitas.com/California_birds/Jays_and_magpies/scrub_jay/scrub_jay_in_your_garden.htm

Their favorite foods are acorns

and they also enjoy eating the

insects attracted by an oak

tree.

Western Scrub Jay - Aphelocoma californica

© Project SOUND

‘I have no room for a Oak Tree’

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/121/277961690_153fe58532_o.jpg

© Project SOUND

S. California’s Scrub Oaks

Scrub Oak is a general name for several species of small, shrubby, evergreen oaks, including the following species:

California Scrub Oak (Quercus berberidifolia)

Leather Oak (Quercus durata)

Coastal Scrub Oak (Quercus dumosa)

Tucker Oak (Quercus john-tuckeri)

Channel Island Scrub Oak (Quercus pacifica)

Santa Cruz Island Oak (Quercus parvula)

Sonoran Scrub Oak (Quercus turbinella)

© Project SOUND

Coastal Sage Scrub Oak – Quercus berberidifolia

http://www.yerbabuenanursery.com/images/new_botimages/large/0620_2_a.jpg

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© Project SOUND

Channel Island Scrub Oak – Quercus pacifica

© 2001 Tony Morosco

© Project SOUND

Channel Island Scrub Oak – Quercus pacifica

Endemic on three of the California Channel Islands: Santa Cruz, Santa Catalina, and Santa Rosa.

Island Chaparral, woodlands, margins of grasslands

Is a species of concern

http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=233501070

http://www.channelislandsrestoration.com/sci/endemics.htm http://www.channelislandsrestoration.com/sci/Quercus-pacifica1.htm

© Project SOUND

Channel Isl Scrub Oak: in many ways a typical scrub oak

Size: 6-15 ft tall

10-15 ft wide

Growth form: Large shrub or small tree

Gray, furrowed bark at maturity

Rather dense – heavily branched

Foliage: Medium-sized leathery leaves

Surfaces glandular & waxy

Have star-shaped hairs (trichomes)

larval food for Hairstreaks, Duskywings, CA Sister butterflies

Roots: Both shallow & deep roots

© 2001 Tony Morosco

http://128.253.177.182/taxpage/0/0/79/binomial/Quercus%20pacifica.html

© Project SOUND

Scrub Oaks – so

versatile

Excellent on dry slopes, for erosion control

Appropriate for parking strips

Can bonsai – or trim as a hedge/screen

Superb habitat plant Butterflies

Other insects

Wide range of birds

Provides food, perches, nesting sites (CA Towhee)

© 2001 Tony Morosco

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3572/3642572283_1852921712.jpg?v=

0

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© Project SOUND

Western Scrub Jay - Aphelocoma californica

Scrub Jays are generalists - eat acorns, seeds, fruits and nuts – also insects & eggs.

Store acorns in the soil for short-term storage; an important dispersal agent of oaks – think of them as the ‘Johnny Appleseeds’ of oaks

Nest in the dense foliage of a large bush or small tree, usually situated near water

http://www.avesphoto.com/WEBSITE/NA/species/JAYWSC-1.htm

The more generalist an organism is, the better chances it has to co-exist with others of its own species as well as other species with similar niches

© Project SOUND

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_scrub_jay

Competition can occur in wild and garden

ecosystems Definition: a biological

interaction among organisms of the same or different species associated with the need for a common resource that occurs in a limited supply relative to demand.

Often involves a scarcity of some factor necessary for life

Food

Water

‘territory’ (nesting sites)

Etc.

Inter-specific competition

© Project SOUND

Northern Mockingbird - Mimus polyglottos

© Project SOUND

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Northern_Mocking_bird_-_Mimus_polyglottos.JPG

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Northern Mockingbird - Mimus polyglottos

Size: medium - 20.5 to 28 cm (8.1 to 11.0 in) including tail

Identifying characteristics:

Slender body; long tail

Long, thin bill & long, dark legs

Overall gray-brown, paler on the breast and belly, with two white wingbars on each dark gray wing.

White patch in each wing is often visible on perched birds, and in flight these become large white flashes.

The white outer tail feathers are also flashy in flight.

© Project SOUND

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Mockingbird/id

Mockingbirds are real singers…

Song: complex mix of many bird’s songs.

Continue to add new sounds to their repertoires throughout their lives. A male may learn around 200 songs throughout its life

Typically sing from February through August, and again from September to early November

Sing day & night in breeding season

© Project SOUND

http://www.birdwatchersgeneralstore.com/MockingbirdsNight.htm

Popular as a caged bird in

1800’s

Northern Mockingbird - Mimus polyglottos

Range: S. Canada to Central America

When in our area: year-round

Habitat: Areas with open ground and with

shrubby vegetation (hedges, fruiting bushes, and thickets).

When foraging on the ground, it prefers grassy areas, rather than bare spots.

Towns, suburbs, backyards, parks, forest edges, and open land at low elevations.

Conservation status: common, but populations declined by about 20 percent from 1966 to 2010

© Project SOUND

Northern Mockingbird is an omnivore

Eat mainly insects in summer: beetles, earthworms, moths, butterflies, ants, bees, wasps, grasshoppers

Switch to eating mostly fruit in fall and winter: many types including mulberries, hawthorns, apples, rosehips, Toyon fruits and native berries.

Opportunists: sometimes eat small lizards; been seen drinking sap from the cuts on recently pruned trees.

Mockingbirds can drink from puddles, river and lake edges, or dew and rain droplets on plants

© Project SOUND

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Observing Mockingbirds

Highly territorial:

Males sing from high perch

Will ‘scold’ & chase intruders from vicinity of nest, young

Usually perches high off ground

Natural feeding/behavior:

May run or hop along ground

‘Broken wing’ display

At feeders: not often

© Project SOUND

May nest in your yard – though they’d

probably prefer a park

Nest in shrubs and trees, typically 3-10 feet off the ground or more.

The male probably chooses the nest site and begins building several nests before the female chooses one to finish

‘Rustic’ looking nest: dead twigs shaped into an open cup, lined with grasses, rootlets, leaves, and trash, sometimes including bits of plastic, aluminum foil, and shredded cigarette filters.

© Project SOUND

http://askville.amazon.com/long-baby-mocking-birds-stay-nest-

flying/AnswerViewer.do?requestId=11297133

Best bets for Mockingbirds

Provide trees or large bushes for perching and nesting

Provide ‘insect plants’ for summer food Mulefat

Fruit trees

Choose fruiting trees, bushes or vines for winter food Blue elderberry

Native berry bushes

Apple trees

Toyon

Native roses

© Project SOUND

Blue/Mexican Elderberry – Sambucus nigra spp. cerulea (S. cerulea)

http://www.timetotrack.com/jay/elderb3.htm

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Blue/Mexican Elderberry

Southwestern Canada

Western U.S. – particularly coastal and higher elevations

In CA, primarily coastal

Northwestern Mexico

http://www.cnr.vt.edu/dendro/dendrology/syllabus/maps/sambucus_cerulea.jpg

Elderberry is great

habitat

Insects – use leaves & flowers Endangered Valley Longhorn

Beetle CA Central Valley) Bees & other pollinators

Birds – berries, insects, cover, nesting sites

Animals – foliage, berries, cover

http://www.backfromthebrink.org/

pop_up_slideshow.cfm?animalid=

15

http://www.freespiritart.com/indigo-bunting.php

Elderberry – extremely versatile in the

home garden

Can be grown as a tree – little pruning required

Can be trained as a “large bush” – yearly pruning

Good for retaining soil on slopes and banks

As a specimen – light and lacy

In naturalized areas

Scent garden – flowers smell like honey on hot days

Xeriscaping – particularly good for rain gardens, vernal swales

http://museum.utep.edu/archive/plants/DDelder.htm

Hooded Oriole - Icterus cucullatus

© Project SOUND http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Icterus_cucullatus_Male_2.jpg

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Hooded Oriole - Icterus cucullatus

Size: medium (~7 inches)

Identifying characteristics:

Slender body; long tail

Male: Entirely orange or orange-yellow head,

nape, rump, and underparts.

Black bib, narrow mask and back.

Wings black with two white wingbars, the upper one wide and bold, the lower one narrow. Tail black

Female: Olive yellow on head, rump, and tail.

Underparts dull, but brighter yellow.

Back dull grayish olive.

Two white wingbars, top one broader than lower. Wings dusky.

© Project SOUND

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Hooded_Oriole/id

Hooded Oriole - Icterus cucullatus

Range: CA to Central America

When in our area: spring/summer breeding season (late March-Aug.) ; migrate south to Mexico in flocks in fall

Habitat: Breeds in areas with scattered trees,

such as desert oases and along streams. Also in mesquite brush.

Common in urban and suburban areas. Fond of palm trees.

Conservation status: least concern – range expanding into more suburban areas

© Project SOUND

Hooded Oriole is an insect- and fruit-eater

Searches for insects among leaves; may hang upside down. Spiders, caterpillars and beetles

Nectar: orange & red flowers

A nectar robber because it pierces the base of the flower, and does not assist in pollination

Prefer nectar from the blossoms of agaves, aloes, hibiscus and tree tobacco and lilies, also fruit trees, eucalyptus

Fruits: Many wild fruits and berries.

Cultivated fruits, particularly when the fruits are sweet and juicy ripe. [oranges, tangerines. ripe peaches, pears, plums, apricots, nectarines, large grapes, melons (especially watermelon)]

© Project SOUND

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hooded_oriole#mediaviewer/File:HoodedOriole.jpg

Bright, lively birds are fun to watch

Natural feeding/behavior:

Most likely to see gathering food for nestlings

Social: interactions, calling

Most likely to see in shrubs that have lots of insects

Very active birds

At feeders: Will take fruit from feeders

will visit hummingbird feeders

© Project SOUND

http://fireflyforest.net/firefly/2005/06/03/hooded-oriole/

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Oriole feeders tempt these pretty birds

Orioles also enjoy jelly; Grape or Bird Berry Jelly is

commonly used

Orioles may also eat mealworms (particularly attractive when feeding young birds) or fruit (grapes and citrus commonly used)

Sugar water (like hummingbirds) 1:6 sugar:water mix best

Specialty oriole feeders have wider ports to accommodate their beaks, larger size perches, and sometimes) jelly-holding cups in the lid in addition to the main sugar water basin.

© Project SOUND

Oriole feeder

http://wildbirdsonline.com/articles_orioles.html

Wild Birds Unlimited, Torrance

Expert advice

Good bird/habitat events calendar

Shop has all sorts of bird-associated products:

Garden

Bird food & feeders

Binoculars

Books & other resources

© Project SOUND

Nesting in your yard: possible

Favorite trees: palms, Eucalyptus; will nest in other garden & native trees like Cottonwoods, Sycamores, Willows

Nest is a tightly woven pouch of plant fibers attached to the underside of a leaf or tree branch.

May be hanging freely or attached by sides of nest as well as rim.

© Project SOUND

http://goldengateaudubon.org/wp-content/uploads/Hooded-oriole-fleglings-in-nest.-

Cycad-and-Palm-Gaden-Paul-Licht.jpg

Summer tree trimming – not a good idea

Stressful for trees

Destructive of nests, nest sites

Breeding bird season: March through August

Does this tree really need to be pruned? Many properly located and

selected trees need very little pruning

Be sure that you use a reputable arborist service

© Project SOUND

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Best plant choices for attracting orioles

Large trees for nesting:

Native: Cottonwoods, sycamores, California fan palm (Washingtonia filifera)

Non-native: palms; eucalyptus, Bottlebrush tree (Callistemon)

Any of the good trees/shrubs for insects

Fruiting/berry trees & shrubs Blue elderberry

Ribes species

Wild grape – Vitis girdiana

© Project SOUND © Project SOUND

White-flowered Currant - Ribes indecorum

Pink Currant - Ribes sanguineum var. glutinosum

© Project SOUND

Coastal areas and mountain ranges

R. indecorum : South Coast, Western Transverse Ranges, Peninsular Ranges to N. Baja

R. sanguineun : Central & N. Coast

interior canyons and washes

Chaparral and coastal sage scrub below 6000'

White-flowered Currant - Ribes indecorum

Pink Currant - Ribes sanguineum var. glutinosum

White

Pink

http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?4450,4451,4489,4490

© Project SOUND

White & Pink Currants in the wild

Commonly grow in the shade of large oaks, along seasonal creeks and on north and east slopes

Part- to full shade

Seasonal water

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© Project SOUND

White & Pink Currants

Showy flowers

Early: winter to spring

Cluster of bell-shaped flowers on drooping stalks

Fragrant!!

Provide early nectar source for: Hummingbirds Butterflies Bees & other pollinators

Sticky Purple berries

Edible – raw or cooked

Food for many birds (Dark-eyed Junco, Quail, Thrushes, Robins, Finches, Towhees and Jays) © Project SOUND

Many possibilities

in the garden As a berry bush in the edible

garden; great for jellies

As a shrub in backs of summer-dry beds

In hedgerows & hedges

In a fragrance garden

For wildlife habitat in a natural or formal garden – some of the best because they provide food & shelter

As an accent plant – showy flowers & attractive foliage

In large pots, planters

Last month we talked

about below-ground

food webs

There are terrestrial food webs in your garden ecosystem as well – you might even want to draw a simple one

© Project SOUND http://greatneck.k12.ny.us/GNPS/SHS/dept/science/krauz/bio_h/images/53_12FoodChains_L.jp

g

Blue elderberry

insect Mockingbird

Bushtit

Sometimes high

level consumers

visit the garden

© Project SOUND

If you attract birds to your

yard, their predators may

also visit

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Cooper’s Hawk - Accipiter cooperii

Most likely raptor in most gardens

Size: 14.5-15.5 inches (medium hawk)

A bird of forests & woodlands; fairly common in urban/suburban S. CA

Behavior: Swooping through trees to catch

medium-sized birds (Jays; Mockingbirds)

Swooping down to capture ground-feeding Doves

Perched (usually pretty well hidden); always watchful – may hear it cry (harsh cak-cak-cak-cak-cak etc.)

Nest in tall trees (parks; preserves) © Project SOUND © Project SOUND

Things you can do to attract more birds

Plant a greater variety of plants to attract a greater diversity of birds: taller and shorter trees, shrubs, native flowers, and grasses.

Diversify the height, leaf type, and food (fruits, berries, and nuts) provided by the plants in your garden.

Plant shrubs and trees that provide berries well into the winter to attract fruit-eating birds – including migrants like Cedar Waxwings.

© Project SOUND

Things you can do to attract more birds

Plant in groupings: more food & edge effects.

Include native wildflowers and shrubs that attract insects: the insects will feed insect-eating birds and the young of many seed eaters.

Allow flowers/grasses to go to seed to attract finches, juncos, sparrows, and other seed-eating birds.

© Project SOUND

Things you can do to attract more birds

Provide clean, safe water

Provide a spot of bare soil about 20 inches across in a sunny corner of your yard. This will allow birds to take dust baths to clean their feathers and get rid of parasites.

You can supplement your natural food sources by adding some feeders, but only if you choose to.

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If I had to choose just a few plants…

Fruiting/nut tree (elderberry; oak; other) that provides fruits, insects, perches & nesting sites

A mixed hedgerow of large evergreen fruiting shrubs: Toyon; Rhus; Ribes; scrub oak; wild rose

Several large ‘bush sunflower’ (Mulefat; Goldenbushes)

Anything else in the Sunflower family: annual, perennial or shrub

Annual/perennial wildflowers

Native grasses

© Project SOUND

Native hedgerow : Heritage Creek

Preserve – CSU Dominguez Hills

Some books you might enjoy

D. Tallamy – Bringing Nature Home

R. Darke & D. Tallamy - The Living Landscape: Designing for Beauty and Biodiversity in the Home Garden. Timber Press. ISBN-10: 1604694084; ISBN-13: 9781604694086

C.E. Sawyers – The Authentic Garden: Five Principles for Cultivating a Sense of Place. Timber Press. ISBN-13: 978-0-88192-831-0

S. Stein – Noah’s Garden: Restoring the Ecology of Our Own Backyards. Houghton Mifflen Press. ISBN-10:0-395-70940-7; ISBN-13: 978-0-395-70949-5

© Project SOUND

Get involved with the PV/South Bay

chapter of the Audubon Society

© Project SOUND

Humans: top carnivores

and incredible

competitors

The front lines of the battle for nature are not the Amazon rain forest or the Alaskan wilderness but in our backyards, medians, parking lots, and elementary schools.

A garden, by its very definition, is an act against nature.

© Project SOUND

http://www.ghoofie.com/ideas/16-gorgeous-summer-garden-

ideas/attachment/colorful-garden-design-ideas/

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A garden is a reflection of our beliefs

A garden of native plants is at least an attempt to understand what we've altered and to heal the rift between our culture and the natural ecosystems that once existed where we live.

© Project SOUND

Our gardens are our site of protest; our expression

of what we believe is morally right

© Project SOUND