Garden Party
The essential elements to create a year-round party in your yard for birds and butterflies.
Written by Jennifer Patton / Photography by Ben Wilder. Published in Tucson Lifestyle, April 2020.
A verdin, insect in beak, approaching its nest in desert hackberry to feed young.
“Spring is nature’s way of saying, ‘Let’s party!’” – Robin Williams.
Have you been to the office party with straight back chairs, zero décor, and boxes of cold pizza? Wholly sterile and uninspired. This is what one of our native birds must feel like when she enters a classic well-groomed xeriscape yard carpeted with rock and sporting a token tree and a few non-native shrubs. Sure, there is a seed block on the wall and a seed feeder hanging from a branch, but where is the fresh food? The spaces for lounging? And how about the company? The feeders are overrun with English sparrows and pigeons – an intimidating crowd for our more retired feathered friend. Our birds Yelp review: Boring, stale food, too crowded. Rating: one star (would have given it zero if she could).
So what makes a great party? Comfortable seating and spaces that invite you to linger, delicious food and interesting (non-monopolizing) guests. Create these elements outdoors and you can turn your landscape into THE destination for native birds and pollinators. Follow these simple guidelines and you can throw an incredible party for birds and butterflies that lasts long after the sun goes down.
3 Essential Elements of a Great (Wildlife) Party
Food and Beverages
Forget what you know about bird feeding. Put away the seed feeder and the humming bird feeder. Have you thought about where the birdseed that you purchase is grown? Or about the quantity of herbicide / pesticide that is applied to produce it? We are told to know our farmer, but do we know our birdseed farmer? Ever worry that your bird feeder is actually a hawk-chumming station? And what about our hummingbird feeders? We know they attract bees, ants, woodpeckers, and they can transfer disease if not cleaned thoroughly and often. And is it really healthy for hummingbirds to mainline sugar water rather than obtaining nectar from flowers?
If you have pondered these questions, you will be happy to know that there is another way to feed birds and enjoy their presence in your yard. And our strategies won’t leave you with lingering doubts.
Broadbilled hummingbird feeds on chuparosa blossom.
Did you know that the majority of birds are not principally seed eaters? And that when birds feed their young, the chief food provided is insects? The main birds observed at seed feeders are ones we don’t aim to attract – namely sparrows, doves, and pigeons (yes, we know you see quail, cardinals and goldfinches as well, but there are better ways to provide food – keep reading). By seed feeding, we are supporting these species at the expense of other non-seed eating species (they take up scarce nesting spaces and valuable resources). Seed feeding also encourages unwanted guests – rodents that eat fallen seed, and that in turn entice snakes into the yard. Like a gateway drug, seed feeding turns into calls to the exterminator (packrat poisoning) and fire department (for snake relocation), and at its worst the death of hawks and owls that have consumed poisoned rodents.
And hummingbirds? They can’t survive on nectar / sugar water alone. Insects comprise up to 75% of a hummingbird’s diet. We see hummingbirds on flowers and feeders, but have you noticed them perched at the top of a tree, hawking for insects? Or probing with their beak under the bark and leaves of trees? At my home, hummingbirds forage for fruit flies over the compost pit throughout the day.
So forget the fast food, and instead provide a spread of fresh insects, berries, and seeds still on the plant. It’s easier than you may think – just select a few of the MVPs (Most Valuable Plants) profiled on the next page, and watch the birds come in for a u-pick harvest. It does not get any fresher.
What about food for butterflies? Most butterflies aren’t fussy about the flowers that they use for nectar, but they are very particular about which plants they will lay their eggs on. This is because the butterfly larvae (caterpillars) rely on the leaves and stems of certain plants for food. For instance, monarch caterpillars feed on milkweeds, the caterpillars of snouts feed on hackberry. See the sidebar, this page, for plant species in addition to our MVPs that provide food for both caterpillars and butterflies, nectar for hummingbirds, and great color for your garden.
Water – the beverage of choice
Fresh water will be enjoyed by birds, butterflies, lizards, and more. You can provide water using a shallow saucer. Keep the bowl and water clean and include a rock for easy landing. Placing the dish on a pedestal will lessen the chance of predation from cats. Butterflies get moisture as well as essential salts and nutrients from wet soil. Make sure to provide a sunny area free of rock to facilitate their ‘mud-puddling’.
Shallow rock water feature can be used by birds, lizards, and pollinators.
Areas to Hang Out
Want to ensure that the winged guests on your list show up? Create safe and comfortable areas for them to hang out. Trees provide places for birds to perch, roost and hawk insects. Butterflies appreciate the shade and often hang out on the trunks. Low-growing shrubs allow ground-foraging birds protection while they eat (cactus wrens, Gambel’s quails and Abert’s towhees all spend a significant amount of time on the ground foraging). And don’t forget to accommodate overnight guests - dense, thorny shrubs are favorite roosting spots for many of our native birds – make sure to tuck a few into out of the way places in your yard.
Just like you might want to avoid a particular co-worker headed your way, birds need places to hide from predators and perceived threats. Make sure to include escape cover in your yard – sprawling plants like prickly pear or shrubs such as wolfberry and hackberry. Have you ever disturbed a covey of quail and watched them run for the nearest cover? Take note of the cover, and replicate this in your yard. Safe spaces won’t be appreciated only by birds – lizards and rabbits will appreciate your thoughtfulness as well.
While you are waiting for your plants to grow, or to add more cover to your landscape, start a brush pile in your yard. This collection of small branches / plant material will provide instant protection.
When you think about comfortable spaces, consider lighting and foot / pet traffic as well. Roosting areas should be set apart from frequently used pathways, and areas that a pet could disturb. Appreciate Tucson’s dark skies by lowering outdoor lighting.
Lesser goldfinch in aloysia. Flower buds are a favorite food.
The Guest List
We have parties because we like to hang out with people. But we have all experienced the guest that guzzles our wine and consumes our food and monopolizes the conversation while contributing little to the festivities. Don’t invite that personality to your party. In our desert, the equivalent would be the ubiquitous English sparrow or pigeon. While you can’t prevent these species from visiting your yard, your plant choices can greatly affect their numbers. Sparrows and pigeons nest in palm trees, and sparrows love roosting in oleander hedges. Both species arrive in droves at seed feeders.
How about attracting the species you want? Our native birds are highly correlated to native vegetation. You are probably aware of the strong relationship between phainopepla and mistletoe. But did you know that the presence of thorny desert scrub plants such as desert hackberry and catclaw acacia is associated with the presence of ash-throated flycatchers, Gambel’s quail, northern cardinals, and verdins? The desert scrub plants provide great foraging (they host a variety of insects), protection (due to thorns and density) and nesting sites. Adding even a single, carefully placed, untrimmed MVP to your yard can increase the diversity of birds you see.
Closing
A garden composed of thoughtfully selected native plants that provide food, shelter, and nesting sites becomes self-sustaining. No worries about who will feed the birds after you and your seed feeders have departed. And don’t worry, by following the strategies in this article you will have a yard full of steady visitors, including goldfinches, cardinal, and towhees. Party on!