Native Plants Attract Native Birds

BirdNote^®

Native Plants Attract Native Birds

Written by Ellen Blackstone

This is BirdNote!
[A medley of American Goldfinch song and Rufous Hummingbird calls]
Native plants sustain native birds. That’s a fact. Whether birds and plants evolved together or birds learned to relish the plants, the combination works.
It’s no accident that Rufous Hummingbirds arrive in the Northwest in spring, tired and thirsty, just as the red-flowering currant blooms.
[Hummingbird vocalizations]
American Goldfinches, common across the country, nest later than most songbirds. The birds seem to be waiting, so they can line their nests with native thistle-down.
[American Goldfinch vocalizations]
Native plants offer sustenance year round—nectar in spring and summer, along with berries and fruits, and nuts and seeds in autumn and winter. They also provide cover—shelter from the weather and protection from predators. Native plants provide natural, sustainable habitat that welcomes native birds to your yard. [Hummingbird wings.] Just add a source of water for drinking and bathing. Then sit back and enjoy the symphony, like this song of a House Finch.
[Song of the House Finch]
For resources on how to transform your yard or balcony to benefit birds, check out our website, BirdNote.org. I’m Michael Stein.
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Sounds of the birds provided by The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. G.A. Keller recorded the song of the American Goldfinch, the call of the Rufous Hummingbird, and the song of the House Finch.
Producer: John Kessler
Executive Producer: Chris Peterson
© 2011 Tune In to Nature.org   July 2011   Narrator: Michael Stein 

ID# garden-06-2009-07-17-MS-   (Old:  ID#062907plantsgen rev from 052705plantsKPLU)