Spring and early summer are great times to work on your landscape. Here are some great tips to follow in your planning to help you create a safe bird haven in your backyard.
Use native plants: To keep bird populations and ecosystems healthy, at least 70% of the plants in your yard should be native. (Ref)
Do not mow in May: Many pollinators rely on early flowers such as dandelion to survive. Don’t mow your grass in May to help the local pollinators and birds.
Use less grass, more plants: Grass offers little value to nature and wildlife. Switch some of your grass areas to native ground covers or low fruiting bushes.
Leave the dead wood: Deadwood plays a crucial part in a healthy ecosystem. Keep fallen deadwood and collect dead branches in a pile in a corner of your yard. If it is safe to do so, leave dead trees standing or cut them down to a safe height.
Use dead leaves as mulch: A wide variety of animals live under the leaf litter, including many insects and other prey for birds. Use dead leaf mulch in areas that are less visible in your yard and watch birds fling leaves around as they look for food.