4
gray catbird for nest building
material.
Herbaceous Plants
A variety of non-woody species
such as weeds, grasses, and
wildflowers are beneficial to
wildlife. If you have a sunny area
on your property, consider
installing a wildflower meadow or
leaving part of your lawn
unmowed. These native “weeds"
and wildflowers provide seeds for
birds to eat, as well as insect
habitat, and good nesting cover
for some birds and cottontail
rabbits. Your meadow may also
attract colorful butterflies.
Hummingbird Nectar Plants
Flowering plants that provide
nectar for hummingbirds can
easily be integrated into your
habitat.
Winter Cover
If most of your backyard
habitat contains deciduous trees
and shrubs, you may want to
include some evergreens, where
birds and other wildlife can seek
refuge and cover during the
winter. The area beneath an
evergreen, which usually remains
bare after a snowfall, is an
excellent foraging site for seeds,
grit, and other food.
Eastern hemlock, a very shade-
tolerant tree, survives light
conditions as low as five percent
sunlight, and bears tiny cones
that chickadees love. The white
pine is used by 48 bird species.
Yellow-bellied sapsuckers eat the
sap, grouse and turkeys eat the
needles, and small mammals and
songbirds eat the seeds. The
Eastern red-cedar yields
persistent berries.
