Avian Beauty Podcast #7

06/14/19 • 2 min

Do you have a favorite diner? Maybe you just love grandma's home cooking. All of us have a favorite dish. Well if you're a bird, native flowers, berries and seeds are the best meal available and your backyard can be their favorite place to stop in to dine.

Did you know that more than 150 bird species recognize when a berry is ripe on the vine? Birds and plants (especially native plants) have a very symbiotic relationship. The plants feed the birds and the birds help spread the plant's seed so that they can flourish.

Hummingbirds love the nectar of a sweet flower and they spread pollen, helping the flowers to multiply.

Regardless of where you live, all the plants in your garden attract insects, which is more good news for the birds. Birds love to feed insects to their young, and native plants offer caterpillars which is a particularly favorite of momma birds everywhere.

And what about after dinner? After a good meal, the birds rely on plants to provide them with nest-building material.

If you want to attract birds to your backyard, plant native plants from your region and try to offer our avian friends a good mix of both berry and seed bearing plants.

And don't forget the shrubs and even trees. Oaks, maples, ashes and other trees attract birds because the trees' branches offer shelter and safety. Birds also use shrubbery for cover.

Depending on where you live, if it's in North America, plants such as lupines, sunflowers, brown-eyed sisals, Black-eyed Susans and fire wheel are some well-known favorites.

You know which bird loves a good backyard garden? The ever-present jay. Next week, I'll talk about one jay that is absolutely steller.

I hope you've enjoyed this episode of Avian Beauty. Thanks for listening. Be sure to visit avianbeauty.com for more bird inspiration and information and please consider subscribing (for free) to our blog and podcast. I’m Scott Bourne. Happy birding.

Hummingbirds love the nectar of a sweet flower and they spread pollen, helping the flowers to multiply.

And what about after dinner? After a good meal, the birds rely on plants to provide them with nest-building material.

If you want to attract birds to your backyard, plant native plants from your region and try to offer our avian friends a good mix of both berry and seed bearing plants.

And don't forget the shrubs and even trees. Oaks, maples, ashes and other trees attract birds because the trees' branches offer shelter and safety. Birds also use shrubbery for cover.

Depending on where you live, if it's in North America, plants such as lupines, sunflowers, brown-eyed sisals, Black-eyed Susans and fire wheel are some well-known favorites.

You know which bird loves a good backyard garden? The ever-present jay. Next week, I'll talk about one jay that is absolutely steller.

Previous Episode

Avian Beauty Podcast #6

Do you recognize that sound? It's very possible you've heard it emanating from your own back yard. It's the song of a northern cardinal; one of the most popular birds in the USA - despite the fact it's also one of the most common.

The cardinal is the state bird of seven different states, including Indiana - my home state.

It's also the mascot of may prominent sports teams like the St. Louis Cardinals, the Arizona Cardinals, the University of Louisville and many more.

One of the reasons that the song of a cardinal is so familiar is that it's one of the few species where both the female and the male sing. In fact, the female typically sings more often.

Another reason that the cardinal is so popular is that in courtship, the males exhibit affection by feeding beak-to-beak. Displays of affection between bird species is a rare and delightful thing to see.

There's one thing you can do to make life easier for the male cardinal. Coat your windows with anti-reflective material because during the spring, you may see males attacking the window because the bird thinks he is defending his breeding territory from intruding males.

Everyone loves a good backyard bird -- but how do you get birds to visit? Next week, I'll tell you a story about the average bird's favorite restaurant.

Next Episode

Avian Beauty Podcast #8

I am a lucky guy. I live in the Pacific Northwest of the United States and in my backyard, it's very easy to meet up with a Steller's Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri).

There are jays in every corner of the USA. But each region has their own jay. In the midwest and east, it's the blue jay. In the southwest it's the Mexican jay. In my part of the country it's the Steller's jay.

While often confused by amateurs as a "blue jay" because of its feathers are primarily blue, the black stripes on its crest differentiates the Steller's jay is different. It does share two other traits with blue jays. Steller's jays and blue jays are the only North American jays with crests. And both jays are the only new world jays that use mud to build their nests.

The Steller's jay is certainly stellar - but the name and the bird are spelled differently. The bird was named after the famous naturalist and explorer Georg Steller. Uf that name is familiar it may be because Mr. Steller also discovered the Steller's sea lion and Steller's Sea-Eagle.

Some people think of jays as nuisance birds. They are aggressive and loud and Steller's jays have been known to attack and kill smaller birds like dark-eyed juncos.

Steller's jays also have a bad reputation because they are always stealing nests from other species. They are also vocal chameleons since they can vocally imitate other birds, even squirrels, cats, dogs and mechanical objects.

While common to some and a bother to others, the Steller's jay is one of my favorite birds of all time. They are handsome and brave and love the peanuts and suet I put in my feeder.

In next week's episode, I'll talk about a bird-related thrill of a lifetime.