Right now, with so much uncertainty surrounding the mysterious illness killing so many birds, experts in Connecticut are advising residents take down their bird feeders and bird baths. (For more information on the ocular and neurological bird illness, stay tuned for The Newtown Bee’s Home & Garden special in September.)
While it is not confirmed that bird feeders or baths are locations where the mystery disease is spread, these gathering sites have been linked to another infectious eye disease that specifically affects finches.
The hope is that by eliminating places where birds congregate, it will reduce the chance of any sickness spreading to healthy birds.
Newtown resident Sarah Middeleer, a landscape designer who serves on the Connecticut Audubon Society board, as well as participating with Protect Our Pollinators, and the Sandy Hook Permanent Memorial Commission, said there are ways everyone can make a positive difference in the lives of birds even during these unprecedented times.
She explained that to survive birds need seeds, nuts, acorns, berries and other fruit, nectar, flowers, sap, insects, spiders, worms, caterpillars, grubs, snails, pill bugs, centipedes, water, shelter, and nesting spots.
An easy and safe way to support birds all year long for many of these necessities — without the risk of spreading disease — is to focus on planting native plants.
“Planting mostly native plants of many types can result in a smorgasbord of delicious, nutritious food (and often shelter) for hungry avian visitors without the risk of spreading diseases among them,” Middeleer said. “These plants often offer more than one benefit; for example, highbush blueberry offers flowers and nectar, which attract insects that can feed hungry nestlings. Later in the season it provides delicious fruit (and in autumn, gorgeous fall color — a feast for human eyes).”
She recommends planting natives that will mature at a variety of heights to offer the best variety for birds. Doing so would include ground covers, perennials and grasses, shrubs, smaller trees, and taller trees.
Leaving snags and fallen logs whenever safely possible is also helpful to birds, as they attract a variety of food sources.
It is also important to not use pesticides or synthetic fertilizers, as they are harmful to wildlife.
“Also avoid removing spent flowers from perennials — many of the dried seed heads are valuable to birds. Many annuals also develop seeds that birds love, such as zinnias and lettuces,” Middeleer added.
“Don’t get rid of fallen leaves in garden beds. They contain many bird-attracting bugs (and often overwintering butterfly larvae).”
For a quick guide to native plantings that are valuable to birds, Middeleer has provided the following list:
Good Sources Of Seeds
Grasses such as switch grass, little bluestem, big bluestem, and prairie dropseed provide good sources of seeds for birds to feed on.
As for flowering plants, try purple coneflower, black-eyed Susan, thistle, sunflower, and goldenrod — all of which are both beautiful for humans to enjoy and for birds to benefit from.
For shrubs and trees, plant American hazelnut; buttonbush; juniper; summersweet clethra; common witch hazel; maples; birch; conifers such as spruce, fir, hemlock, and Eastern red cedar; sumac; oak, and basswood.
Good Sources Of Fruit
Low-lying plants, also known as ground covers, that produce fruit and attract birds are wild strawberry, prickly pear cactus, partridgeberry, and bearberry.
Shrubs and trees can also be good sources of fruit for birds, including blueberry, chokeberry, huckleberry, serviceberry, black cherry, raspberry, blackberry, chokecherry, bayberry, winterberry, American holly, inkberry, viburnum (mapleleaf, arrowwood, American cranberrybush, nannyberry, blackhaw, and possumhaw), hackberry, spicebush, mountain ash, hawthorn, crabapple, elderberry, sour gum, dogwood, sassafras, and sumac.
The National Wildlife Federation also encourages the public to plant beautyberry to help feed birds throughout the winter, because it is a long-lasting fruit that is helpful when other food sources are unavailable.
While some vines can be perilous to trees, vines such as trumpet creeper, trumpet honeysuckle, Virginia creeper, and wild grape are helpful to give birds access to fruit.
Good Sources Of Flowers, Nectar
Providing native plantings that have flowers and nectar for birds is also useful because these plants attract insects.
Asters, giant hyssop, beardtongue, coral honeysuckle, bee balms, cardinal flower, turtlehead, butterfly weed, wild geranium, wild columbine, phlox, Jacob’s ladder, Solomon’s seal, Joe-Pye weed, ironweed, and purple coneflower make wonderful flowering plants for birds.
Middeleer noted, “All of the shrubs, trees, and vines listed above for seeds or fruit also offer a valuable source of nectar.”
Reporter Alissa Silber can be reached at alissa@thebee.com.
Black-eyed Susan, also known as Rudbeckia hirta, is a flowering plant that is a good source of seeds for birds. Keeping the dried seed heads up after the plant is done flowering is a good way to continue to help birds for longer periods of time. —Bee Photo, Silber
Phlox comes in a variety of colors and is a group of 67 species of perennial and annual plants, all of which are good sources of flowers and nectar for birds. —Bee Photo, Silber
Bee balm is a native planting that has both flowers and nectar for birds. It also attracts insects and pollinators, like bees and butterflies. —Bee Photo, Silber
Sunflowers, another native flowering plant, are a hearty source of seeds for birds. —Bee Photo, Silber
A Sandy Hook resident was recently kept busy taking down bird feeders on her property after learning about a new and mysterious illness that is killing birds. Experts are recommending bird feeders and bird baths be taken down to help stop the disease from spreading. —Bee Photo, Voket
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