Three Weeks for Dreamwidth: Trees and Shrubs for Birds

[ysabetwordsmith]

Three Weeks for Dreamwidth runs April 25-May 15. This year, I'll be posting about birds in honor of birdfeeding. Today's topic is Trees and Shrubs for Birds.




Many birds like trees. Some, such as cavity nesters and edge-sensitive forest birds, really need trees. Others, like edge-sensitive grassland birds, outright avoid them. Some trees are better for birds than others. They may attract more caterpillars, provide extra shelter, or offer food such as fruit. Planting a variety of trees will tend to attract more birds by diversifying these benefits, and it also discourages pests. However, if you know the dominant forest type(s) in your locale, such as oak-hickory or hemlock-sitka spruce, you can mimic that to bring in native birds. Try searching "forest types" or "tree communities" and the name of your state or other region. Look for a map that shows where they grow and descriptions of species found in each type.

10 Trees With Edible Leaves to Forage or Grow

15 Trees for a Wildlife-Friendly, Edible Landsape

25 Nut Trees To Grow In Your Garden

Best trees with berries: 10 trees to feed the wildlife

Birds Planting Trees - How Birds Help Plants? (UK)

Creating Escape Cover

Evergreen Trees for Birds

Fast 5: Mast Trees that Produce Quickly

Favorite Plants: California Native Trees and Shrubs

Forest Atlas of the United States

Forty shelter trees to grow your property the best shelterbelt in New Zealand

Fruit Trees for Birds

Habitat Management - Planting Hard and Soft Mast Trees

Leguminous Food Trees

Tree Communities of the Forest Biomes of North America

PLANTING AND CARE OF SHELTER BELTS ON THE NORTHERN GREAT PLAINS

Shelterbelt and Windbreak Trees for Sale

Shelterbelts for Wildlife

Timber Stand Improvement for Wildlife - Virginia DWR

Trees and Shrubs That Attract Songbirds and Wildlife - Kansas

Wildlife Sheltering Capacity of a Single Tree - Ask Wonder


Plant trees in layers. Compare a forest garden, New Zealand bush, and a tropical rainforest. Emergent trees are the tallest, sticking up above the canopy one at a time. Canopy trees are tall and dense, forming a consistent layer of leaf cover. In temperate forests, these are often nut trees. Subcanopy trees are a little shorter, and there may be a lot of them, but they don't pack as closely. Understory trees are short and usually scattered. Fruit trees are often subcanopy or understory trees.

5 of the Biggest Trees You Can Plant at Home

39 Small Trees (Under 30 Feet) for a Small Yard or Garden

Canopy Trees

Feathered Friends: The Top Small Garden Trees for Bird Attraction

How to Design a Forest Garden

Landscape Plants that Attract Birds (by tree/shrub size)

List of superlative trees

Native Trees for Urban Gardens (by size)

Permaculture Food Forest: How to grow a luxurious garden

Small to Medium Trees over 30 feet

To attract wildlife, layer garden from ground to tree canopy

Understory Trees and Shrubs

Vegetation Layers - Texas


Favor trees that support the most other species of wildlife. In many parts of the world, this is some species of oak; pick something native to your locale. Again, your best bet is to identify your area's dominant forest type and then select trees from that community of species. They are known to enjoy each other's company and local wildlife knows to look for that combination. Planting a diversity of native trees tends to discourage pests that may wreak havoc on monocultures. Consider starting with a keystone species, which props up the whole ecosystem. An excellent approach is building a tree guild around that, a community of plants whose different roles support each other.

19 Different Types Of Oak Trees With Photos For Identification

Field Guide to Native Oak Species (with habitat ranges)

Four Native Prunus Keystone Plants

Homegrown Biodiversity: It’s Time to Get Growing! (with garden vocabulary in Anashinaabemowin)

Plant Guilds (ebook with many sample guilds)

Powerhouse Keystone Species – Plant an Oak

Tree Guild Permaculture – How To Plant A Tree Guild


Shrubs offer multiple benefits to birds and other wildlife. Chief among these is cover, especially with dense shrubs that form thickets. Some have a formidable arsenal of thorns to protect themselves and anything living in them. Evergreens are good too. Many fruit-bearing plants grow as shrubs or canes.

9 Evergreen Shrubs Birds Love! - Our Wild Garden

10 Shrubs for a Wildlife-Friendly, Edible Landscape

23 of the Best Defensive Plants for Home Security

Ask Dr. Phipps: Native Evergreen Shrubs

Feed the Birds with These “Berry” Beautiful Garden Shrubs

A hedge that’s a haven for birds

Juicy Fruit: Lesser known berry varieties source of sweet summer treats

Just the Thicket … For Wildlife Habitat

Pacific Northwest Bushes – Growing Shrubs In Northwest States

Native Berry-producing Shrubs For Birds (Canada)

Native Shrubs for Birds - Greenwich Audubon Center (Connecticut)

Native Shrubs: Creating Living Landscapes for Birds, Butterflies, Bees, and Other Beneficials - Ohio

Shrub rows benefit gamebirds and other wildlife year-round

Top 15 Texas Shrubs for Your Yard

Western Native Evergreen Shrubs for Landscapes