Wildlife Enhancement on Prince Edward Island
Attracting birds in winter

Background:

Attracting wildlife to your property in winter is a great way to get a bird's eye view of nature and make those chilly months more bearable for all types of wildlife. Planting trees and shrubs to provide food and protection, setting up supplemental feeding stations, even offering watering systems - these will all help draw in more birds for a closer look. If you can meet the basic needs of birds, whether they are winter migrants or year-round residents, you'll be a lot more likely to have them showing up in your yard. Most birds like the protection of dense conifer hedges or groves. Planting the right tree in the right place is the key to success. Eastern white cedar tolerates standing water and full sun but does poorly in winter winds. White spruce is the best choice for sunny, dry areas, even in stiff winds. Eastern hemlock is a good choice for dry, protected sites if the soil is in good condition. With careful pruning from a young age, all three can make excellent hedges. Many birds that nest around homes also eat lots of insects, which can be an added benefit.

American robin. Photo by Beth Hoar. American robin - robins are irregular visitors in the winters. Some years they are around all winter, sometimes they seem to stay late in the fall and then leave, and sometimes they are absent for long periods and then show up in late winter. Their presence is always very much appreciated. Some people collect mountain ash berries and freeze them, then use them to entice the robins to stay. They are very attracted to fruit in the winter, so try planting fruit-bearing shrubs that hold their fruit through at least part of the winter around your home. The best choices are American mountain ash, highbush cranberry, hawthorn and wild rose. Robins are one bird that you probably never have to worry about providing a nest site - they are able to build nests in everything from front door wreaths to small trees and shrubs.

Black-capped chickadee. Photo by Beth Hoar. Black-capped chickadee - a very regular bird at feeders throughout the year. Even small dead trees in your property lines will generally suit their nesting requirements. While these wildlife trees might look different from the "neatness" of many yards, they are extremely useful to chickadees and other wildlife species. For feeders, black-capped chickadees are huge fans of black oil sunflower seeds. Once the chickadees get used to coming, they are one of the easiest birds to hand feed. Spend a little time letting them get used to your nearby presence, then over a week or so, approach the feeders closer and closer. Finally, before filling up the feeders, put some sunflower seed in your hand, stretch out your arm, and patiently wait for them to land. They'll even take sunflower seeds off your hat! They are also very fond of shelled peanuts and suet feeders.

Northern junco. Photo by Beth Hoar. Northern junco - this small, elegant slate grey and white bird is a year-round resident and makes good use of home feeding stations. Groups of juncos, sometimes a dozen or more, will feed together in one area, making use of both woodlands and residential areas. They prefer to feed on sunflower seeds on the ground, though they will also take other seeds and visit hanging feeders. Juncos nest on the ground and are very susceptible to predation and disturbance by dogs and cats. Keeping pets inside or on leash during the nesting season and having some wild, brushy areas around your home will increase the chances of successful nesting, not only for juncos but for many other species.

Bohemian waxwing - this is one of our most irregular winter visitors, occasionally absent but often in flocks of dozens or more. It is slightly larger than the cedar waxwing, and even more colourful, with a deep rust on the underparts of their tailfeathers and an extra yellow stripe on the wing. Like the robin, waxwings are primarily fruit eaters. They are attracted to high-bush cranberry, which keeps its fruit most winters.

hairy (left) and downy woodpecker (right). Photo by Beth Hoar. Hairy and downy woodpecker - while these two look alike and are both common visitors to feeders, the downy is a smaller version of the hairy. The easiest way to differentiate between the two species is the length of the bill in proportion to the head. On the hairy, it is substantial, appearing almost the same length as the head, whereas the downy's bill is only about one-third of its head length. Both nest in tree cavities, so having some dead and dying trees around the property will help keep these birds around throughout the year. Woodpeckers are attracted to suet balls and peanut butter logs. A heavy-guage metal silo feeder with shelled peanuts has also proven very attractive to downy woodpeckers.

American goldfinch. Photo by Beth Hoar. American goldfinch - another regular year-round resident that can appear in quite large flocks. When the males change from a dull green to their bright yellow breeding plumage, it is a sure sign of spring. They are chiefly attracted to Niger thistle seed in silo feeders, though will also take sunflowers from any kind of feeder. Like many smaller birds, Goldfinches nest in dense thickets, so it is good to keep some shrubby areas around your home, including red osier dogwood and willows, or dense coniferous trees.

pine sisken. Photo by Beth Hoar. Pine siskin - this small, brown-streaked bird is a very "irruptive" visitor. Some years there seem to be none around, while in other winters they are very common. While they do breed here, most of the large flocks we see in the winter disperse north to nest. Siskins, like goldfinches, are attracted to Niger thistle seed in silo feeders - they are exceptional perchers and quite acrobatic in their attempts to feed. They will also take other seeds from the ground. Another good source of winter food for siskins and the small finches are birch and alder seeds. Help attract more birds and perhaps cut down on your feeding bill at the same time by planting one or more of the following: yellow, white or grey birch, and speckled or downy alders.

mourning dove. Photo by Beth Hoar. Mourning dove - the haunting, owl-like "hoo-hoo-hoo" is becoming increasingly common in Prince Edward Island throughout much of the year. The mourning dove, a close relation of our imported pigeon, is showing up at feeders in large numbers, a result of more people providing winter food. They respond very well to cracked corn, either fed directly on the ground or on a platform feeder.

blue jay. Photo by Beth Hoar. Blue jay - our provincial bird is truly colourful, but has some other less attractive features. Especially if there are platform (flat feeders) with lots of sunflower seeds, jays can show up in the dozens and go through a lot of food. There is genuine concern that since blue jays are notorious nest robbers and steal both eggs and young, encouraging excessively high numbers might be detrimental to other bird species. Limiting the amount of food you put out on platform feeders seems to keep down their numbers. Another solution would be some kind of open fencing around a flat feeder, allowing small birds in while keep out the larger jays.

red-breasted nuthatch. Photo by Beth Hoar. Red-breasted nuthatch - like the black-capped chickadee, this small, short-tailed bird is regularly seen at feeders. It is a welcome visitor because of its attractive grey and rust colouring and its friendly call. The nuthatch also nests in cavities in wildlife trees and so again having some dead and dying trees around your property will help them in their nesting efforts. Nuthatches eat large amounts of black oil sunflower seeds and also eat shelled peanuts and suet.

purple finch. Photo by Beth Hoar. Purple finch - this is another year-round resident that is somewhat migratory. Some years there are very few while in others they are plentiful, though they never show up in large flocks like the American goldfinch and pine siskin. The males add a welcome touch of colour. One field guide describes the male in spring breeding plumage as having been "dipped in raspberry sauce". Purple finches will feed at both Niger thistle and black oil sunflower seed feeders.

There are many books on bird identification, gardening and winter feeding. Here are a few:

André Dion, A Garden of Birds, Brimar, PQ.

Donald and Lillian Stokes, The Bird Feeder Book, Little, Brown and Co., Boston, 1987.

Caroll Henderson, Landscaping for Wildlife. Minn. Dept. of Natural Resources, Minneapolis MN, 1987.

The Macphail Woods Ecological Forestry Project, a member of the Island Sustainable Forest Partnership Cooperative with assistance from Natural Resources Canada, the Canadian Forest Service and the Model Forest Program have put together this series of information sheets concerning Wildlife Enhancement on Prince Edward Island. Thanks to Beth Hoar from GreenThumb Photography. Web development and maintenance by Chris Martin.