The Songbird Choir - How you can help!
Springtime Brings Songbird Concerts to Backyards Everywhere
Winter turns to spring, daylight is getting longer and the songbirds are starting to bond in pairs and begin their nesting season. We reap the benefits of all this by being able to listen to all the sounds and songs of these wonderful songbirds. They are some of the most beautiful sounds in nature.
Most songbirds are migratory birds, traveling thousands of miles back and forth to their breeding grounds. It is estimated that more than 85% of songbirds perish during this migration. When they come home to nest (March to June), their nests can be simply lining an empty tree cavity with mud, or as elaborate as weaving grasses, moss, and twigs together to form a nest.
Most songbirds lay one egg per day and sit on their eggs for 12-14 days. The baby birds are able to leave the nest about 14 days later. It may be a few days later before they can fly well. The young babies are born featherless with eyes closed and are completely dependent on their parents for many days. They begin to develop feathers around the third day. During the weeks they are developing their feathers and tails these little ones are learning the ways of the wild even though they are attended by their parents. When the young birds first leave their nests is when they are most vulnerable to predators and other hazards.
Songbirds have many unique characteristics that set them apart from other bird species. They have a highly developed voice box which enables them to produce the many beautiful sounds they make. Some sing melodies and others can copy the calls of other birds such as crows and starlings. They can also produce sounds similar to ring tones, cats and dogs.
These birds eat a variety of foods ranging from seeds, nuts and berries, to fruits, nectar, and insects. Some can consume thousands of insects a day during mating season.
So what do you do if you find a baby bird on the ground? Do nothing. Leave it alone because the parents are probably close by feeding it. Often these young birds leave their nest before they are able to fly and end up on the ground. The baby can move around and let its parents know where it is.
If it is obvious the baby bird has fallen out of the nest and is far too young to survive, place it back into the nest. If the nest blew down, place what is left of it, along with the baby, back where it was. Or you can place it in a small basket and hang it near the original nest site. The parents may return to feed the young. Handling the baby will not cause the parents to abandon it. Most birds have a poor sense of smell.
Do not take baby birds into the house to keep them safe and feed them. Only licensed wildlife rehabilitators are authorized to handle wild birds. Call TCWC at 209-283-3245 for more information if you find baby birds that have been abandoned by their parents.
California backyards and gardens become nesting stops for many species of birds, and spring is a great time to make your backyard bird friendly. The Audubon Society has these recommendations for making your yard a haven for songbirds
With care and planning, you can create a yard that attracts songbirds and watch them raise their young and sing their many melodies.
Tri County Wildlife Care, a local nonprofit started in 1994, is dedicated to the rescue and rehabilitation of our native wildlife and helping our community live in balance with wildlife. They envision a world where wildlife and people thrive together. For more information call 209-283-3245 or visit pawspartners.org.
Winter turns to spring, daylight is getting longer and the songbirds are starting to bond in pairs and begin their nesting season. We reap the benefits of all this by being able to listen to all the sounds and songs of these wonderful songbirds. They are some of the most beautiful sounds in nature.
Most songbirds are migratory birds, traveling thousands of miles back and forth to their breeding grounds. It is estimated that more than 85% of songbirds perish during this migration. When they come home to nest (March to June), their nests can be simply lining an empty tree cavity with mud, or as elaborate as weaving grasses, moss, and twigs together to form a nest.
Most songbirds lay one egg per day and sit on their eggs for 12-14 days. The baby birds are able to leave the nest about 14 days later. It may be a few days later before they can fly well. The young babies are born featherless with eyes closed and are completely dependent on their parents for many days. They begin to develop feathers around the third day. During the weeks they are developing their feathers and tails these little ones are learning the ways of the wild even though they are attended by their parents. When the young birds first leave their nests is when they are most vulnerable to predators and other hazards.
Songbirds have many unique characteristics that set them apart from other bird species. They have a highly developed voice box which enables them to produce the many beautiful sounds they make. Some sing melodies and others can copy the calls of other birds such as crows and starlings. They can also produce sounds similar to ring tones, cats and dogs.
These birds eat a variety of foods ranging from seeds, nuts and berries, to fruits, nectar, and insects. Some can consume thousands of insects a day during mating season.
So what do you do if you find a baby bird on the ground? Do nothing. Leave it alone because the parents are probably close by feeding it. Often these young birds leave their nest before they are able to fly and end up on the ground. The baby can move around and let its parents know where it is.
If it is obvious the baby bird has fallen out of the nest and is far too young to survive, place it back into the nest. If the nest blew down, place what is left of it, along with the baby, back where it was. Or you can place it in a small basket and hang it near the original nest site. The parents may return to feed the young. Handling the baby will not cause the parents to abandon it. Most birds have a poor sense of smell.
Do not take baby birds into the house to keep them safe and feed them. Only licensed wildlife rehabilitators are authorized to handle wild birds. Call TCWC at 209-283-3245 for more information if you find baby birds that have been abandoned by their parents.
California backyards and gardens become nesting stops for many species of birds, and spring is a great time to make your backyard bird friendly. The Audubon Society has these recommendations for making your yard a haven for songbirds
- Reduce/eliminate pesticides and herbicides to keep wildlife, pets and people healthy.
- Plant native plants. Natives provide birds with food in the form of fruit and seeds, and are also home to tasty invertebrates like bugs and spiders.
- Make windows visible to birds to prevent collisions. Put up screens, close drapes and blinds when you leave, and stick decals on windows 2-4 inches apart.
- Let your yard go a little messy leaving snags for nesting places. Trees and bushes are also great nesting places. Stack downed tree limbs to create brush piles which make great places for birds to go during bad weather.
- Close blinds at night and turn off lights you are not using. Some birds use constellations to guide them on their annual migration and bright lights may disrupt them.
With care and planning, you can create a yard that attracts songbirds and watch them raise their young and sing their many melodies.
Tri County Wildlife Care, a local nonprofit started in 1994, is dedicated to the rescue and rehabilitation of our native wildlife and helping our community live in balance with wildlife. They envision a world where wildlife and people thrive together. For more information call 209-283-3245 or visit pawspartners.org.
