It’s that time of year again: the seasons are changing! Along with dropping temperatures and shorter days, our yards undergo some noticeable changes. While it is important to continue providing food for your backyard visitors during the colder months, there is much more we can do to make our outdoor spaces safe and welcoming for wildlife. Here are a few simple ways to care for birds while making your yard more wildlife friendly.
1. Trim Your Trees
Tree pruning is important for maintaining healthy trees, including removing dead, damaged, or diseased branches. However, it is equally important to consider the birds that may be nesting in them.
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The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) recommends conducting tree work outside of the nesting season, which for many bird species in California generally falls between February and August. However, nesting seasons can vary depending on the species and location, and some birds may nest year round. If you need to conduct tree work when birds could be nesting, consider having a qualified biologist conduct a nesting bird survey before beginning any work.
2. Keep Your Cat Indoors
We adore our feline companions, but allowing cats to roam outdoors can have serious consequences for wildlife. Free roaming cats are estimated to kill billions of birds annually in the United States and Canada, making cat predation one of the largest human related threats to birds.
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Cats are natural predators and may hunt birds even when they are well fed. Keeping cats indoors is one of the simplest ways to protect both wildlife and your pets. If your cat enjoys time outside, consider a catio, leash, or harness to provide outdoor enrichment while keeping them safely contained. If your cat refuses a leash or harness, supervised outdoor time can still provide enrichment while helping prevent them from freely roaming and hunting wildlife. A Birds Be Safe™ cat collar can also provide another option for helping reduce the risk to birds.
3. Offer Seasonal Foods
As temperatures drop, many birds adjust their diets to compensate for the seasonal decline in insects and other natural food sources. Providing high calorie, high fat foods can give birds an important source of energy during the colder months.
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Fat is one of the most concentrated sources of energy available to birds, and stored body fat provides much of the energy birds rely on between meals and throughout long winter nights. To make seasonal feeding easy and effective, our Winter SuperBlend ™ offers a nutritious mix
designed for birds during the colder months. Our store experts are also available seven days a week to help you find the right food for your backyard visitors.
There is a lot to learn when it comes to caring for nature, and it can sometimes feel overwhelming. A great place to start is right outside your own door. By making thoughtful choices in our own yards, we can create safer, more welcoming spaces for birds and other wildlife throughout the changing seasons.
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