[From the U.S. Government Printing Office, www.gpo.gov]
Planti*ng a Refuge for Wl*ldll*fe How to create a backyard habitat for Florida's birds and beasts. !L Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission Nongame Wildlife Program United States Written and edited by QL tment of Susan Cerulean, Celeste Botha 59 and Donna Legare C47 ilture onservation Designed and illustrated by Swannee Nardandrea Planting a Refuge for Wildlife TABLE OF CONTENTS ci Preface .................................................................................... 1 0 How to use this guide ........................................................................ I 0 Introduction ................................................................................ 2 0 What animals might live in your backyard? ...................................................... 4 C3 Create a backyard habitat plan ................................................................. 5 0 Evaluate your environment ................................................................... 6 0 Managing your backyard habitat Modifications and maintenance .............................................................. 7 j A caution about exotics .................................................................... 8 Cavity trees, lawns and soil ................................................................. 9 0 Attract the wildlife you want (eBirds ................................................................................... 10 Mammals ............................................................................... 16 Reptiles and amphibians ................................................................... 17 Butterflies ............................................................................... 18 Hummingbirds ........................................................................... 19 Problem guests ........................................................................... 20 0 Supplementing your backyard habitat Nest boxes .............................................................................. 21 Feeding stations .......................................................................... 22 Water .................................................................................. 23 0 Native plants for backyard Florida habitats ..................................................... 24 0 For further information ..................................................................... 33 Feeding stations that How to use this guide p V rovide water and supplemental foods can concentrate birds in your n this booklet, you will find proven ways to backyard habitat. encourage a broad cross-section of Florida wildlife to visit and live around your home. No matter what your time or financial constraints, you can take some of these simple steps to improve wildlife habitat in your back yard. The first section outlines what animals you might expect to find in your Florida yard and their basic life requirements. Next you will find a step-by-step 14. overview of how to plan a backyard habitat that takes S your living requirements into account as well! The manager's checklist on page 7 should be helpful after you have landscaped your property, or if you already have an established landscape. Pages 10-t9 describe specific management techniques to help you attract the wildlife you want, including birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and butterflies. Solutions for some common wildlife-human conflicts on small properties are discussed on page 20. If you want to supplement your habitat or attract wildlife for close observation, the sections on feeding, housing and providing water for wildlife will interest you. Finally, Sandy Morrill. The landscape design was prepared by you will find an extensive listing of the native plants Preface Jody Walthall of Native Nurseries in Tallahassee. you will want to use to create your backyard habitat. If Many of the techniques for attracting birds in south you seek a more complete discussion of any of these n a recent public opinion poll, 88 percent of all Florida were suggested by Cynthia Plockelman and topics, review the resources and publications listed Floridians said it is important to know that wild Thomas McElroy. David Cook prepared the section on under "For Further Information" (page 33). animals live around their homes. Yet millions of reptiles and amphibians. Victor Heller, Assistant As you are planning your backyard wildlife habitat, our residents don't realize how closely the health of Director, Division of Wildlife, provided initial guidance learn as much as you can about the wildlife species you wildlife populations is tied to the health of their and support for this project. Dave McElveen wish to benefit. Use native plants to attract the animals habitats-the living spaces that provide animals with contributed valuable advice and suggestions. Many native to your areas. This will add to your enjoyment food, water, shelter and cover. This guide suggests other reviewers volunteered their time and expertise to and your efforts to conserve Florida wildlife. Learn to specific techniques for creating viable habitats on small assure the accuracy of this guide, including Jim Cox, identify and eliminate harmful exotic species. properties in Florida. We hope it will help you attract, Jeff Gore, John Waters, the Board and staff of the A final word: be patient and realistic in your enjoy and conserve wildlife close to your home. Palm Beach Soil and Water Conservation District, expectations. Remember that it will take time, often This guide was produced jointly by the Florida John Vance, Durbin Tabb, Craig Tufts (National years, to increase the number and kinds of wildlife in Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission and the Wildlife Federation), Charles Potter (Audubon your back yard. United States Department of Agriculture Soil Society of the Everglades), Judy Gillan, Jeff Priest, Conservation Service in cooperation with the Palm Brian Millsap and Bruce Neville. Beach Soil and Water Conservation District. Native plant information was compiled by Donna Legate, Gary Schultz (The Nature Conservancy), Richard Moyroud (Florida Native Plant Society), Roger Hammer (Castellow Hammock Nature Center) and Introduction Attracting wildlife to your garden by planning and There is an ever-increasing need to manage not only planting for their needs is simple and satisfying. If we the existing forests and large landholdings for wildlife, make adequate food, water, shelter and space available, but also the developed land: the quarter-acre suburban T here are many reasons why birds and other we can increase the number and variety of species that lot, the five-acre townhouse development, the 40 animals appeal so strongly to our affections. visit our yards and improve our chances to observe acre subdivision, the small city park, larger county The simple truth is-they bring us joy. The them more closely. parks and even the roadsides of our highways. exuberant songs of cardinals and mockingbirds, the Plants form the natural architecture that animals We can begin with the pleasant task of inviting dazzlinR display of a painted bunting in our birdbaths need to feed, rest, raise young and hide from wildlife to our own yards. No matter where you live in or feeders, and the sight of colorful butterflies dancing predators. The more stable and balanced a plant Florida, you can make habitat improvements to benefit above a wildflower patch-these are personal pleasures community you create, the greater the variety of your wildlife neighbors. that aren't easily measured. wildlife you'll attract. And you'll find advantages in People need to live close to the natural world-to energy and water savings as well as the natural insect trees, flowers and animals. When we watch the and rodent control your miniature ecosystem will complexity and diversity of nature, we become more provide. Moreover, the National Wildlife Federation observant and more in tune with important subtleties has found that attractive landscaping installed with around us. A monarch butterfly seen in September wildlife in mind substantially increases the value of a signals us that the fall migration of many species is house and lot: a $200 investment in plants can yield a 3 beginning. The appearance of a purple martin in to 10 percent increase in real estate value. February lets us know that spring is close behind. As Florida's population skyrockets, more and more But many Floridians are becoming increasingly green space is consumed. Wild animals and birds are isolated from the natural world as local populations of squeezed out of the habitat they need for their survival. wildlife are displaced from suburban and urban areas. Bulldozers and backhoes are eliminating the living spaces of many of our wild birds and animals in this fast-growing state. What are the consequences? "Suppose a creature dies out within your 'radius of reach'-the area to which you have easy access," asks entomologist Robert M. Pyle. "In some respects, it might as well be gone altogether because you will not be able to see it as you could before." This "extinction of experience" makes people more isolated from and less caring for nature. On the other hand, if we can preserve native wildlife and plants in our cities and suburbs, we can also maintain the essential bond between people and nature that fosters a sense of stewardship for the land and its life far beyond city limits. t 1@ 2 1-D Expect this yard to have a rich assortment of wildlif 1r:r including flying squirrels, raccoons, frogs, salamand s and 75 or more species of birds. .............. ............................ ............ ...................... ........ ...... ............. .... ... ............ ................... .................... ....... ........... ........ .. .. ............................................. ............ . .................... ...... ............... ...... ...... ...I...... ...... ..................... ...... ....... ........ ........ ......... ::::::: ........... ............... ........... :: ......................... ........... .......... :: ............ ...... ...... . .. ....... ........ ............................. ................. ... .... .......................... ............... ... .. ..... ..... ......... ......... . . ... . . ....... .................. ......... .... .............. ......................... ....................... ....................... ................ ............... ........ ........ .... ....... ... ......... ......... ... .......................................................... .............................. ................ ........................ ................... :::: ......... ............. ........... .......... ........... ................ .................. ..................... ...... ............................. .......... ...... .............. ..... .............. .. ............... ............... ........ . ........... ... . . .......... ......... ........... .................................. ................. .................... ......... ............... ........ .............. ....................... * ..... ...... ...... ...... .... ........... .................. ............... .......................................... .......... .......... ................................................................. ........ ............................ ........ ....... ..... ...................... .... ............................... ......... . .... ..................... .......... ........................ .... .................. ...... ........................ ........ .................................................................. ....... .......... .......... .............. ... ..... ........ ....... ........... ............ . . . . . . . . .......... ........ ........ ............. ........ ........... .X. ........ . .......... : ....... .......... ............. .. .. ...... .. ............ ...... ................ ........ ....... ........ .... ............... ............... . ..... ............... ................ ........ . . ...... ......... ... ......... .. ........ ................. .......... ............ .... ......... ............ ....... ... ................................. .................... ... .................... ........... .... .. - ::: ..... . ...... ........... .............. ......... . ........ ..... ...................... ........ .... Only a few animals will live in and use this landscape . ......... X ........................ Unbroken stretches of turf provide little cover or food ............................. ........ ............................................ ............................. ... ............. for most species. ............. .................................. ............... ...... .......... ............... .......... ... ......... ... ....................... ...... ................ .......... .......... ........... .......... .............. ...... ..... ............. ......................... X: ........... .. ................... .... ......... ........... ........ ............... ......... ....... ............ . ........................... ...... .... ............. ........... ........................... ........ :: :: .................. ........... ........ ........................ ... ........ ..................................... ........... ....: . . ......... ... ............ ...... ...... . ....... ....... ............. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . .. . . . .... . . . . . . --- - - - - Increasing Habitat Diversity Figure 1. As this graph illustrates, the greater the habitat diversity your property provides, the more types of wildlife will choose to be your neighbors. For the small property owner in Florida, increasing habitat diversity usually means replacing expansive, closely mowed lawns with creative landscaping. Even within a quarter-acre lot, habitats that provide variety in both form and height-lawns, meadows, hedges and shade trees-will attract a larger number and variety of birds than a quarter-acre lot with uniform plantings. 3 What Animals Might Live in Your Backyard? M ore than 1,200 kinds or species of animals live in Florida. In terms of wildlife, we are the third most diverse state in the nation! Of all this bewildering variety, which species can you expect to attract to your own backyard? It all depends on how well the habitat on your property duplicates the natural conditions under which the animals live in the wild. Some animals, such as raccoons, opossums and mockingbirds, adapt well and live throughout Florida, but others are much more regional in occurrence. White-crowned pigeons and many other semitropical species are restricted to the Florida Keys, for example, A. Food: All animals get their energy for survival B. Water: Fresh water is essential for all wildlife and and it's unlikely that you will ever find a yellow- from plants or other animals. The ideal wildlife is often the factor most limiting their presence on breasted chat nesting south of Tallahassee. The tables management plan uses natural vegetation to supply small properties. Spring and fall migrants are especially on pages 10- 17 suggest where and when you'll find the year-round food-from the earliest summer berries to attracted to water during long flights. Frogs and most common species of Florida wildlife. fruits which persist through winter and spring (such as salamanders require standing water to complete parts All wild creatures have unique requirements for sweetgum, juniper and holly). of their life cycles. food, water, cover and space, and they can only live where these needs can be satisfied. Together, these required elements make up an animal's habitat. The key to luring wildlife to your property is to provide t the four basic components of their habitat: food, especially in its natural form; water to drink and bathe in; cover or shelter to escape from predators, rest and build nests; and space or territory in which to live and k raise young. Birds and other animals usually live in the particular habitats or plant communities (pine flatwoods, tropical hardwood hammocks, etc.) that JA IN44 i best meet their habitat needs. Most require, or will use, a diversity of habitat types at different times in their daily or seasonal cycles. You will attract the widest variety of wildlife to your land by using native plants to simulate small areas of nearby habitat types. The "edges" where these habitat types meet will probably be the most visited areas in your neighborhood. C. Space: All animals require a certain amount of D. Cover: Breeding, nesting, hiding, sleeping, feeding space or "elbow room" to mate and rear their young. and traveling are just a few of the necessary functions On a small lot you may be able to support many kinds in an animal's life which require protective cover or of breeding birds or other animals, but perhaps only a shelter. Often cover pla nts double as food sources. 4, At 2 pair or two of each. An animal's requirement for space may be substantially less if food, water and cover resources are concentrated. 4 Create a Backyard Habitat Snag (D Plan 7-;i L A backyard habitat is really just a landscape designed with wildlife in mind. It will be most Brush pile Apleasing and successful when you have 3 6 managed to combine the quality of wilderness with just Bird water and enough cultivation to harmonize with your house and feeding station Purple Martin 6 the people who inhabit it. Why not design and plan house or gourds f- I@\J_J; L 6 your landscape in an orderly fashion, just as landscape architects do? 6 This landscape plan includes an extremely high Bird nest box diversity of wildlife-attracting plants. Suggestions are Hummingbird provided for both north and south Florida below. is Butterfly garden/ perennials De k garden Many other valuable plants are listed on pages 24-32. rellis wer North Florida South Florida deck with 02 honey- I .Pine 1. Pine suckle 2. Red Mulberry 2. Red Mulberry 3. Flowering Dogwood 3. Wild Coffee 4. Wax Myrtle 4. Cocoplum 5. Southern Magnolia 5. Paradise Tree 6. Blueberry 6. Blueberry 7. Viburnum 7. Stopper 0 8. Cherry Laurel 8. Florida Trema 12 9. Red Maple 9. Coffee Colubrina 10. American Holly 10. Geiger Tree 11. River Birch 11. Necklace Pod 12. Fringe Tree 12. Sea Grape 13. Red Buckeye 13. Silver Palm 14. Black Gum 14. Black Gum 15. Firebush A 15. Hawthorne 16. Red Cedar 16. Red Cedar 21 17. Persimmon 17. Persimmon 21 18. Live Oak 18. Live Oak 21 19. Coral Bean 19. Coral Bean 20. Cabbage Palm 20. Thatch Palm 21. American Beautyberry 21. Blolly 22* Elderberry 22. Elderberry 23. Pokeweed 23. Pokeweed 19 24. Sweetgum 24. Gumbo-limbo L awn .......... .. Design by )ody Walthall LLJ EI= Leaf litter/ground cover Native grasses/meadow area ;f@l 7, V, A landscape that is Evaluate Your Environment attractive to wildlife is pleasant for people, too. First, walk around your property and make an inventory. Sketch a base map, as the following section describes, then outline a planting plan. Break your plan into a reasonable time schedule. Don't try to do everything at once-decide what you can do each year for the next five or so years. Think about your Al neighbors, too. Can you persuade them to share or at least tolerate your interest in attracting wildlife? Step 1: Your base map should indicate your property s dimensions; the area covered by your house and other structures (garage, storage shed, pool, decks, patio, fences, sidewalks and driveway); and the location of underground water pipes and utilities, septic tanks, irrigation lines, sprinkler heads, etc. Step 2: On your base map, or on a transparent logo overlay, sketch areas of sun and shade. Notice how 4 these shift during the day and throughout the year. Also examine your soil. Is it primarily fill dirt, sand sandy loam, clay, topsoil or other soil types? Sketch any changes that occur within your property boundaries. How about soil moisture? Are there areas requirements. Notice how the vegetation in your yard Now that you have studied your property as a of poor drainage or erosion? Is your property affected interacts with the physical characteristics of the site to wildlife manager might, you are ready to prepare one by salt spray? If so, carefully choose plants for your form habitats. For example, even the smallest lot may drawing to guide your landscaping efforts in the years design that are salt tolerant. For example, buttonwood have a dry sunny lawn growing on construction fill, to come. The landscape drawing on page 5 shows one and sea grape are two plants with high wildlife value and a cooler area shaded by a large tree, perhaps with a possible plan for a quarter-acre lot. You'll need to that thrive in south Florida coastal environments. They richer soil. Each existing habitat presents different customize your property, however, by choosing plants are ideal choices for backyard habitats on properties opportunities and constraints in your overall plan. that will thrive in your region of Florida. Decide close to the sea. Take a look at natural plant communities around your whether you are planning major landscape alterations area. Observe how plants of different height and form or simply modifying a reasonably acceptable backyard Step 3: Give some thought to your family's needs and grow near one another. You'll want to use these habitat. uses for your property. What about pets? If cats and proven successes as models for your own backyard Don't plan a clipped, artificial garden that will dogs are a big part of your life, your expectations for habitat. enslave you! With a backyard habitat, you are working wildlife should be lower. Consider space requirements with nature and watching natural processes take their for work, play, entertainment, access and traffic Step 5: Begin a list of the wildlife that visit your courses. Your primary jobs will include pruning and patterns, trash collection, security and privacy. Think property. How well do each of your habitats provide pulling out some plants from time to time to give the realistically about how much and what type of space food, water and cover for wildlife? Are there native garden more room to grow. you will need for each activity. Sketch these areas onto seed-bearing plants available that produce fruit on a another overlay of your base map. continuous basis? Does your present landscape provide adequate cover and safe travel corridors for small Step 4: Now list the most abundant trees, shrubs and animals and birds? Mammals, especially, require herbaceous plants already growing in your yard. You connected shrub and hedgerows or larger wooded may want to note their age, size, health, whether they areas to move about. are exotic or nativetO YOUTregion, their value in energy conservation, and any special maintenance 6 16A/1 C0000000 ao- If you want to modify an existing 0/ 0/ landscape: Maintenance ideas for all I. Surround your lawn areas with beds of trees and landscapes: shrubs. Plant small shrubs and ground covers around solitary trees. Design irregular borders for these beds Lawn: Convert some of your open lawn to a to create more wildlife edge. "meadow." Mow prudently-just two summer mowings. 2. Mulch your tree and shrub beds with leaf litter, will control tree and shrub invasions in your meadow lawn clippings, tree trimmings or chips. Melaleuca (check local mowing ordinances). Wildflowers, butterflies If you're working with a barelot or mulch is also very effective. They are a rich food and bees can flourish in even a small wild meadow. planning major landscape source for ground foragers like towhees and thrushes, 0 Hedges: Select and encourage a variety of plant alterations: provide cover for small mammals, reptiles and heights, but maintain a minimum of 3-1/2- to 8-foot high amphibians, and also enrich your soil. Leave a few hedges. The best hedges for bird cover and nesting are patches of bare soil for birds that "dust." evergreen with dense or thorny branches. From the 1. Begin by framing your property with a backdrop of viewpoint of a bird or rabbit, blackberries are ideal! native trees. This will maximize wildlife benefits and 3. If your yard is already filled with exotic plant Thorny hedges also discourage human intruders, and all screen you most effectively from neighboring species, as is often the case in south Florida, proceed dense hedges give you privacy and protection from noisy properties. Plant a variety of species, some evergreen, slowly. Ideally you should replace these plants with streets. Remove large tree species that sprout and grow in some deciduous. They will simulate a forest canopy native species. Brazilian pepper (also known as Florida your hedges. and provide nesting sites, protective cover and food holly), melaleuca and Australian pine should be for small mammals and birds. Plant deciduous trees on eliminated as soon as possible (see page 8). 0 Pruning: Birds prefer unclipped, informal hedges. the west side of your house for summer shade. Remove old growth selectively to assure that the plants don't overcrowd one another. Avoid pruning during the 2. Create an understory by planting smaller flowering nesting season. Azaleas and other early flowering shrubs that bloom from buds formed during the previous or orchard trees in clusters near the tall trees. Stagger summer should be selectively pruned or cut back every the plants at recommended spacing intervals and avoid few years. planting in lines or rows. When planting shrubby borders, mix several species of varying shape, height Small trees: Be sure orchard and some flowering trees and density to create a greater selection of nest sites. receive full sun. Check light requirements--dogwoods, for Try to choose shrubs that fruit at different times of the example, prefer light shade. Avoid toxic sprays; instead, year for a continuous food supply. You are choose fruit varieties that will thrive in your area without poisons. Don't prune all the dead wood and be sure to introducing more food for butterflies and songbirds! mulch well. Leave tent caterpillar nests in your wild fruit .5 trees-yellow-billed cuckoos can control them for you. If 3. Now surround the smaller trees with masses of caterpillars really get out of hand, spray carefully with brambles or ground cover. These will ide shrubs provide bacillus thuringensis (see a nursery for instructions). protective cover areas for ground-feeding birds and mammals. Large forest trees: Control seedlings beneath large trees, but leave a few young replacements. Allow one or two selected vines to climb each tree. You may want to 4. Install plantings of shrubs and ground covers around the foundation of your home. Look into mow once a year in your forested area. Maintain standing energy conservation considerations and be careful not dead trees and limbs that don't pose a safety hazard to your house or people in your yard. to block special views. Paths: Add mulched or stonework walkways to your 5. Lawns are very labor and energy intensive, but landscape. Paths can make visiting your yard more snaall areas are pleasant for play and circulation. When e njoyable when vegetation is wet with rain or morning and provide a familiar route through your backyard dew you identify areas for turfgrass, consider laying sod habitat. It ... . . Follow site preparation recommendations from yo local Cooperative Extension Office for best results. Managing Your Backyard Habitat 4r 7 -4Brazilian pepper: These fast-growing shrubby trees have long arching branches that eventually form impenetrable thickets. Bright red berries are produced in abundance in the winter months. Crushed leaves have a turpentine odor, and sap can cause skin .... ...... .. . irritation similar to poison ivy, a close relative. The 4"'; seeds are widely distributed by robins and other birds, germina te in almost all ecosystems, and smother existing vegetation. 10 Kudzu (Pueraria lobata) A Caution about Exotics --gAustralian pine: This is not a true pine. Several different species are planted, persist or have escaped from cultivation. Seeds are produced in small woody Exotics are foreign plants and animals imported fruits; some species spread mainly by root suckers. All and introduced into a new environment. Most every are fast-growing and reach great heights. Old Florida yard has an exotic hibiscus or azalea. branchlets are constantly shed and produce a thick Although these plants won't do wildlife any harm, layer of litter under the trees. This litter suppresses all their benefits aren't as high as those of native species. other vegetation by physical smothering and chemical Many exotics have no natural enemies to suppress inhibitors that leach from the leaf litter. their spread, so they tend to upset the balance of nature and crowd out the native species. South Florida's landscape has been visibly and negatively altered by three exotic trees: melaleuca or the paperbark tree (Melaleuca quinquenervia), Australian X, pine (Casuarina spp.) and Brazilian pepper, sometimes called Florida holly (Schinus terebinthifolius). In north Florida, the worst -4Melaleuca: A large, upright evergreen tree with flaky naturalized exotic is kudzu (Pueraria lobata) which can turn a small pine forest into a green "desert" white bark and dark green leaves which give off a for wildlife in only a few years. strong aromatic odor when crushed. Flowers cover branch tips in a bottlebrush arrangement, and produce Recommendation: ,X pollen which causes severe allergic reactions in many people. These trees grow quickly and thickly from the tiny seeds released. This tree is the most serious threat Do your best to eradicate these aggressive to south Florida because it invades all wetlands and invaders everywhere you can! surrounding areas, crowding out all other species as it spreads. It is also creating a severe fire hazard in some areas, and has resisted all attempts at control. ....... ... % 80 Cavity Trees, Lawns and Soil M ore than one-third of all forest-dwelling Recommendations: One of the greatest services a birds and mammals require a hole or cavity landowner can do for wildlife is to leave at least one or in a tree for nesting or shelter. Most cavity- two dead trees (snags) standing per quarter-acre lot. If nesting birds are insectivorous, and play an important you have few cavity trees on your property, set out part in the control of forest insect pests. The scarcity home-built nest boxes (page 2 1 ) to encourage cavity- of nesting and roosting cavities seriously limits nesting birds and mammals. Obviously, snags that numbers of woodpeckers, nuthatches, wood ducks, present a safety hazard should be removed. screech owls, bluebirds, flying squirrels and many other desirable backyard dwellers. People are the problem-we harvest mature and dead trees for firewood and remove dead trees and limbs merely to keep our yards neat. Under natural conditions, a woodland recycles everything. It does not become "dirty" and never needs "cleaning"! Ithough a well-kept lawn may provide a grassy snack for a rabbit or a worm for a robin, to qualify as good habitat it must be close to cover and food plants. Most people like to maintain mowed grass for Aoutdoor play and entertaining, but remember, manicured lawns extending from property line to property line will be nearly as devoid of wildlife as asphalt! Recommendation: Think carefully about which lawn areas you don't use and replace them with beds of trees, shrubs, meadow and natural ground cover for your wildlife neighbors. ost people have a mental image of what makes a rich soil: it's dark and smells fresh; it's fluffy9 not lumpy or loose like beach sand; and moist, not dry or muddy. These qualities are, in fact, ideal for M most plants. If you improve your soil to match your mental image, your plants will mostly take care of A, themselves. Healthy soil will grow healthy plants, and healthy plants will produce lots of food and cover for wildlife. Recommendation: You have to start with topsoil. If you are trying to garden on soil that was dug out of a .4 -:0. pit to fill your lot, you may have to haul in some topsoil before you do anything else. Assuming you have topsoil, the most important thing you can do for your garden is to mulch, which means to spread some type of plant material over your soil. On the poorest fill, and even without the addition of topsoil, mulching begins the process of soil formation and allows a wide range of plantings to flourish. Don't discard leaves or grass clippings if you rake. After they have dried, spread them thickly (at least three inches deep) between your plants and shallowly around their bases. Mulch should not touch tree or shrub trunks directly. Mulching will keep your soil moist, inhibit weeds, and the clippings will eventually break down and enrich your soil. - 09 Cardinal Blue Grosbeak Purple Martin Ruby-throated Hummingbird Buntings K Location (NS) Cardinal Purple Martin Ruby-throated and N (R). S (R) N and S (SB) Hummingbird Time of Residence Blue Grosbeak N (SB), S (R) N (SB), S (M) Indigo and Painted Bunting N (SB), S (WR) Preferred Natural Mostly seeds of wild and Vast quantities of insects. Flower nectar, tiny insects cultivated grasses, some and spiders Food insects. Cardinals eat more than 100 kinds of fruits, Thickets, vines, dense stands Natural cavities, holes and Preferred of young saplings, other crevices in sides of bluffs or Limb of low tree, often Nesting Site brushy plants. Cliffs. overhanging water. T his table provides you with specific Will They Use... Yes No Yes management techniques to attract the birds Feeders? you desire to your backyard. Only 63 of the most common species found in Florida yards have been included. Creating high quality habitat for these species will inevitably attract many more. Nest Boxes? No Yes No Florida birds fall into four groups: year-round residents, summer breeders, winter visitors and seasonal migrants. This table lists the geographical Special Management Cardinals prefer mixed Prefer open meadows and Garden with variety of part of the state (north - N, south - S) and the time and Landscape gardens with hedges and lawns near water. Have plantings is ideal, including of year you are likely to encounter the bird (year- lawns backed by a variety of learned to nest in gourds and herbaceous flowering borders, round - R, summer breeder - SB, winter resident - Preferences trees; have a strong special apartment houses running water, and special WR, migrant - M). More detailed occurrence preference for sunflower placed in suitable habitat. sugar water feeders (see page information on all Florida birds is available from seeds. Buntings and Don't use pesticides nearby! 19). Strongly attracted to red the GFC (see "For Further Information") grosbeaks like brushy tubular flowers like native pastures and woodland edges; firebush. We have described the birds' desired natural like an exposed perch to sing foods and nesting sites so you can be sure your om feed on ground; feed on backyard habitat is complete. You will also be able white proso millet at feedem to note whether birds you especially want to attract Buntings are shy and require heavy cover near feeders. are likely to use a feeder or a nest box (details on vi). 21-22). Finally, special management and landscape considerations are listed for each species. Attract the Wildlife You Want 10 0- i Mockingbird Carolina Eastern Blue Jay Carolina Wren Catbird Chickadee Bluebird House Wren Brown Thrasher Tufted Titmouse Location (NS) Eastern Bluebird Blue Jay Carolina Wren Mockingbird Carolina Chickadee and N and S (R) N and S (R) N and S (R) N and S (R) N (R) Time of Residence House Wren Catbird Tufted Titmouse N and S (WR) N and S (WR) N (R) Brown Thrasher N and S (R) Preferred Natural Primarily insects, some fruits Acorns, other nuts and Mostly insects. Insects, grubs, fruits and Insects and many plant foods. Food and berries. berries, insects, small reptiles seeds. and mammals. Natural cavities in trees, old Dense, thorny shrubs or vines Natural cavities and Preferred woodpecker holes in trees Variety of trees 10-30' off the Cavities, or crotches of trees conceal basket-like nests. abandoned woodpecker Nesting Site and fence posts. ground. or shrubs. Brambles ideal. holes. Will They Use... Rarely Yes Yes Yes Yes Feeders? Nest Boxes? Yes No Yes No Yes Special Management Prefer orchards, old fields Prefer yards with large Like wooded gardens with Edge situations provided by Yards with mature deciduous and Landscape with scattered trees, open, numbers of trees, esp. oaks, dense shrub undergrowth. gardens excellent for and evergreen trees supported Preferences second growth woodlands. beeches and pines. Water is a Will nest in almost any cavity mockingbirds-, native berries by dense shrub and small tree Birds are strongly territorial, major attractant. Peanuts are around homes; try hanging a are important food sources. understory are best. so place nest boxes 100' apart especially attractive at gourd under house eaves. Catbirds like access to water. Chickadees prefer to dig own (detailed plans available from feeders, Loves peanut butter/suet Thrashers forage on the cavities in partly rotted GFC). Commonly use bird- cakes. ground where leaf litter is trunks or stumps, esp. pine baths. Restricted to rural and plentiful. and bitch. Hanging suet agricultural areas in south feeders and sunflower seeds Florida. are especially attractive. Screech Owl Robin Wood Thrush Barred Owl Woodpeckers Rufous-sided American Kestrel Towhee Location (NS) Screech Owl Woodpeckers (Red-headed, Robin and N and S (R) Red-bellied, Downy, N and S (WR) Time of Residence Barred Owl Flicker, Pileated) Wood Thrush N and S(R) N and S (R) N (SB), S (M) American Kestrel Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Rufous-sided Towhee N and S (R) N and S (WR) N and S (R) I Painted bunting Preferred Natural Mice and insects. Major consumers of forest Forage on ground for insects; Food pest insects, grubs and eggs, also eat fleshy fruits and ants, beetles; and also berries, berries. nuts and seeds. Towhee-on or close to ground under dense shrub Preferred Cavities. cover. Cavities in dead or dying Wood thrush-shrub or Nesting Site trees. small tree 6-12' high. Will They Use... Robin and thrush-rarely. No Yes Feeders? Towhee-yes. Yes Nest Boxes? Yes No (except pileated) Barred owl 77 Special Management Like gardens with many old Pileated and red-bellied Wooded gardens with and Landscape trees close to open, unmowed prefer old growth forests with densely planted understory. Preferences areas for hunting. Prefer mixed hardwoods. Downy Robins like lawns with Cavities in hardwoods and old and flicker common in scattered trees, berry bushes woodpecker holes in pines. gardens with mix of in winter. Towhees fond of Readily use appropriate nest deciduous and coniferous brush piles, prefer to forage boxes. Will use water if trees and shrubs, some open under feeders on ground, ground. Optimum garden for close to cover. Shaded, provided. red-headed has lawns and ground-level birdbaths or shrub beds, a few large pines pools with close cover of and oaks and some dead shrubs excellent. 4 snags nearby. Maintain snags in your yard for all wood- peckers. Leave stumps and IWO fallen logs as foraging habitat. Will eat suet; red-headed likes bread on platform feeder. Northern flicker 12 Orioles Doves Summer Tanager Cedar Waxwing Nuthatches White-crowned Northern Bobwhite Pigeon Location (NS) Orchard Oriole Cedar Waxwing White-breasted Mourning and Ground Northern Bobwhite and N (SB), S (M) N and S (WR) Nuthatch Dove N and S (R) Time of Residence Spot-breasted Oriole N (R) N and S (R) S (R) Brown-headed Nuthatch White-Crowned Pigeon Northern Oriole N and S (R) S (R) N and S (WR) Summer Tanager N and S (SB) Preferred Natural Insects, fleshy fruits, esp. Abundant fleshy fruits on Insects, seeds and nuts. Insects, seeds, nuts and fruits. Seeds, acorns, some fruit; Food berries. shrubs and trees. Also, buds All except pigeon are ground some insects and spiders. and flowers of hardwood feeders. trees. Oriole-shade, street trees, Pigeon-often nest in preferably near water. mangroves, usually on Ground nest in brushy Preferred Tanager-deciduous trees. Cavities in dead trees or old offshore islands. open grasslands and open Nesting Site often oaks. Not in Florida. woodpecker holes. Dove-varies, from ground to pine woods. shrubs, vines, etc. Will Thev Use... Yes Rarely Yes Yes Yes Feeders? Nest Boxes? No No Yes No No Special Management Prefer high feeding stations Manage your property to Don't cut snags! Many Need dense cover of shrubs Comes readily to seed on and Landscape with fruit; northern orioles include many fruiting natives; hardwoods and pines are near open fields or lawns with ground. Requires heavy brush Preferences enjoy suet. Attracted to roving flocks of waxwings preferred cavity trees. Suet scattered trees. Provide water for daytime cover, A brush gardens with mixed fruit will devour dogwood, holly and sunflower seeds are on the ground-birds like to pile (page 16) is ideal. trees, esp. orchard trees, and red cedar berries in late feeder favorites. bathe daily. dogwood, mulberry, tupelos, winter. wild cherry and blackberry. Orioles attracted to fruit at feeders, especially oranges. 13 Ruby-crowned Finches Yellow-billed Kinglet Pine Siskin Cuckoo Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Location (NS) Goldfinch Yellow-billed Cuckoo Ruby-crowned Kinglet and N and S (WR) N and S (SB) N and S (WR) Purple Finch Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Time of Residence N (WR) N and S (R) Pine Siskin N (WR) American goldfinch Preferred Natural Buds, soft fruits, seeds, Caterpillars, grasshoppers, Tiny insects gleaned from insects in summer. other insects. foliage high in trees. Kinglets Food also eat wax myrtle berries. Gnatcatchers nest on Preferred 8-12' high in shrubs or on horizontal limbs 25' or higher; Nesting Site Not in Florida. horizontal tree branches. use many kinds of trees. Will They Use... Yes No Yes Feeders? Nest Boxes? No No No Brown-headed nuthatch Special Management Sweergurn and sycamore Best natural controller of tent Prefer mature, diverse garden and Landscape fruits are prized winter foods; caterpillars. Generally prefer with good mix of evergreen Preferences water is one of best trees with dense canopies, and deciduous trees. attractants. Most prefer high such as oaks. Occasionally visit small feeders; goldfinches will feed hanging suet feeders. Rarely on the ground. All love found in urban soutb Florida sunflower seeds and niger yards. (thistle) seeds. Whire-crowned pigeon 14 Eastern Phoebe Red-winged Great Crested Blackbird Flycatcher Warblers Vireos Sparrows Eastern and Gray Common and Boat- Kingbird tailed Grackle Location (NS) Eastern Phoebe Red-winged Blackbird Warblers: Vireos: Red-eyed Sparrows: and N and S (WR) N and S (R) Orange-crowned and N (SB) Chipping Sparrow Time of Residence Great Crested Flycatcher Common and Boat-tailed Yellow-rumped White-eyed N and S (R) N (SB), S (R) Grackle N and S (WR) N and S (R) Song, White-throated, Eastern and Gray N and S (R) Parula, Pine and Yellow-throated and other migrant Kingbird Yellowthroat N (SB) sparrows N and S (S13) N and S (mostly R) Black-whiskered N and S (M) N (M), S (SB) Preferred Natural Mostly catch insects, bees, Mostly seeds and grains, Insects, some seeds. Insects and spiders, some Feed on ground, mostly weed Food etc. midair; also cat some insects. fleshy berries prior to and grass seeds, some insects. grasshoppers, ants, some migration. fruits. Often near water; kingbird Large trees, ex. yellowthroat, All suspend hanging nests in Preferred likes medium shrubs or trees. Wetlands or nearby fields, shrubs near water. Parula uses trees from 3-4' off ground Chipping-near ground in Nesting Site Ureat crested-natural cavities. often in cattails. Spanish moss to construct (white-eyed) to tree tops dense thickets. I Phoebe-bridges, rafters, eaves nest. (yellow-throated). Will They Use... No Yes Suet feeders only. No Yes Feeders? Nest Boxes? Yes, No No No No except kingbird Special Management Like deciduous and mixed Forage in all types of open Many resident and migrant Same as warblers. Black- Require n-dxed garden and Landscape woods, edge situations. habitat during nonbreeding warbler species will be whiskered vireos favor vegetation with close shrub Attracted by gardens with season. Prefer ground feeders, attracted to a diverse, richly- mangroves. cover. Will visit ground Preference& streams, pools with small but will use others. Highly planted garden with many feeders regularly. Liberally waterfalls, other sources of attracted to sources of water. canopy layers, including use water if provided. running water. Favor many mature trees. Oaks provide wild fruits. Kingbirds need good source of caterpillars. A perch with good view. Great water source will bring in crested flycatcher will nest in seldom seen species. Yellow- gourds. rumped, pine and orange- crowned commonly seen at Suet feeder. 15 Raccoons and opossums live in all but the most urban Florida's nighttime skies. Most occur in the northern Florida habitats as long as they have access to food, water half of the state. All are gentle, harmless and very beneficial and daytime cover. Sleeping sites and dens include hollow insectivores. Some sleep alone in trees or Spanish moss, trees, underground burrows, brush piles and even garages or while others seek an attic or abandoned building for colonial abandoned buildings. These nighttime foragers are roosting. You might be able to attract them by providing opportunists and will eat fleshy fruits, nuts, corn and other artificial roost boxes (write the Florida Game and Fresh Water grains, small animals and human garbage. Fish Commission to obtain building plans). Succulent green plants, woody blackberries and tree bark are the primary food items of cottontail rabbits. Rabbits prefer to live in fields of herbaceous plants and grasses Managing for Mammals in Your punctuated with dense, thorny low-growing hedges for cover. Yard There's no quicker way to increase cottontails than by building protective brush piles. *Give special protection to cavity trees on your Flying squirrels and gray squirrels are especially land. If you have few or none, nest boxes can abundant in wooded suburbs having mature oaks and substitute for natural cavities. hickories, dense understories and a supply of cavity trees. *Plant native trees with edible fruits and nuts, Nuts, seeds, berries, mushrooms and insects make up a such as mulberry, wild cherry, beech, pine and oak. squirrel's diet, and they often nest in an abandoned *Protect nearby streams, swamps and marshes woodpecker hole or a bird nest box. If you notice Spanish from destruction and water pollution. moss protruding from your bluebird or chickadee house, *Create maximum habitat diversity and edges in you probably have a flying squirrel in residence. Gray your backyard habitat. squirrels are active during the day, but flying squirrels are *Provide ample low cover to supply protective nocturnal animals. Both species, if present, are readily attracted by peanut butter spread on a feeding stand. shelter from predators (including dogs and cats) and the elements. Florida has a number of native rodents that might visit *If vegetative cover is scarce, build a brush pile. your backyard. The handsome cotton mouse and old-field ammals mouse are likely residents, or you may even provide a home for the eastern woodrat. No matter which species inhabit t least half of Florida's 62 terrestrial mammal your land, you will seldom see them, and will even have to Bottom half of brush pile species might occur in a well-rounded look closely just to see their tunnels, nests and droppings. construction backyard habitat. If you live in an urban or Nevertheless, they are important members of a backyard food suburban area, mammalian neighbors may include chain, eating large quantities of insects and weed seeds, and the animals described below. Don't count on in turn, serving as a meal for owls and hawks. Although they attracting larger animals like foxes, bobcats and deer occasionally enter old buildings, these native rodents are not unless extensive areas of suitable habitat adjoin your disease-carrying nuisances like the introduced house mouse, neighborhood. Mammals cannot fly over poor black rat and Norway rat. habitat like birds can, so if your property is sur- The streamlined mole is well-outfitted for life in the rounded by unsuitable habitat, it may be difficult to meandering underground runways it digs in constant search 7 attract them to your yard. Also, most mammals are for food. Moles are primarily insect eaters; damage to bulbs nocturnal and secretive, and they are very and crop plants usually results from drying of roots as the dependent upon the cover you provide to protect animal tunnels after earthworms and garden pests. Their them from predators. Although most mammals will contributions to a healthy garden outweigh any incidental not be seen as often as birds, they can be just as damage they create. Shrews are tiny voracious predators that' interesting and beneficial in your backyard habitat. consume up to half or more of their weight in insects and invertebrates each day. They patrol small flattened runs in the leaves and organic matter that cover the ground. They are A an asset to any garden. You may be lucky enough to have the insect-eating services of a bat or two, particularly if your backyard habitat is near a pond or stream. About ten species of bats frequent 160 Managing for Herps in Your Yard The slimy salamander, in its black cloak studded with flecks of white or gold, is a handsome mini-predator of small Most of Florida's reptiles and amphibians are small insects and spiders in leaf litter and beneath rotting logs. Most often seen at night when the ground is wet, its name and secretive and need a little bit of "wildness" in derives from the viscous slime it produces to thwart its which to hide and find food. You can improve the enemies. herp habitat in your yard by doing the following: The little squirrel treefrog is one of the "chameleons" of 77 *Leave some leaf litter under your trees, shrubs and the frog world, and can change its color from dark brown to L in the garden. lime green. Often ranging far from water, it is a frequent *Encourage native ground cover, grasses and stalker of the insects attracted to your lighted window pane wildflowers; a finely mowed lawn is attractive to at night. By day, it retreats into a nearby tree or shrub where people but not to most herps. it may give its nasal, duck-like "waaak" reminiscent of a *Leave stumps, rotting logs and stones where scolding squirrel. possible. Brush piles and wood piles also provide You should feel honored if the familiar high-domed box turtle chooses your yard or garden for its home, because valuable shelters and basking sites. these reptiles may live to be 100 years old! The box turtle is *Wooden rail or slat fences not only brighten the y u-3 so named because the special hinge on its bottom shell lets it yard but provide lizards with perches on which to close up into an armored box when faced with danger. This bask, catch insects and set up territories. familiar land turtle eats a variety of tow-growing plants, *Try to discourage cats from using your yard; they fruits, vegetables, mushrooms, insects and worms. It avoids are efficient hunters and frequently destroy herps and the summer sun and winter cold by digging a small shelter in other wildlife. the leaf litter or underbrush. The green anole, sometimes called "the American chameleon" due to its ability to change from bright green to dark brown, is one of several lizard species at home around people. Its insect-catching skills provide great free e e. entertainment, as do its social interactions. Males pump out their startling pink throat fan or "dewlap" to advertise their virility and personal territory. The southern ringneck snake, which seldom exceeds 14 ad mphifitoans inches in length, occasionally turns up in the garden, where it i- eats slugs, earthworms and other small animals. Brown to loridi ns are lucky to share their state with a slate black with a bright yellow necklace, the ringneck may wide variety of reptiles and amphibians. escape notice until you see its bright yellow belly beset with FThanks to its unique geological history, bold black spots. This and other small snake species may be climate and diverse plant communities, Florida has important predators of destructive insects, and can be 127 species of native herptiles or -herps" (from the encouraged by providing areas of leaf litter and logs or stones Greek herpeton, meaning "creeping thing"). With for cover. so many "creeping" (and hopping, slithering and The common "black snake" of Florida is the southern swimming) critters around, it's no wonder that Top half of brush pile construction black racer, a slender, shiny black, and very fast serpent that some may choose to make their home near where grows to over five feet. The racer eats an astonishing variety you choose to make yoursl At left are -4To build your own brush pile, lay four logs (6 feet long of other animals, from insects and frogs to mice, lizards and and 4 to 8 inches in diameter) parallel to one another about other snakes. While cruising for its prey, each racer covers a representatives of the Florida salamanders, frogs, 8 to 12 inches apart on the ground. Then place four more lot of territory; very likely the one you see will be "just turtles, lizards and snakes you are most likely to run logs of the same size across and perpendicular to the first passing through." into in your backyard or side garden, plus some four poles. These will keep "tunnels" open under the pile. Rat snakes are tremendously variable in color, pattern, hints on how to make them happy. If you are lucky Next add brush: larger limbs first, then smaller branches, and local name (corn or "red rat" snake; gray rat or "white enough to live next to some woods, a stream or a until you've created a structure 4 to 6 feet in height and oak" snake; yellow rat or "chicken" snake), but all are pond, you may see some "herps" not listed here. diameter, Sticks and branches can then be continually added superb climbers that prey on destructive rodents. Their For pictures and more information about all of to the top as the pile rots at the bottom, providing food for presence in your shed or near your house may indicate a these, we recommend A Field Guide to the an abundance of earthworms, enriching the soil and reducing plethora of mice. Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and the need for trash collection. If you want a brush pile for NOTE: There are only six species of poisonous snakes birds to use, but not rabbits, pile brush one or two feet off in Florida (two of which are very rare and found only Central North American by Roger Conant the ground on cement blocks. It will no longer shelter in extreme north Florida). Learn to recognize these, (Peterson Field Guide Series). rabbits. and any others you see will be safe, valuable additions to your backyard fauna. 011- 17 Here are some ways to create a "I backyard butterfly habitat: *Let a few sunny areas in your yard go wild. Grasses and wildflowers native to your region of Florida are the best and most permanent butterfly draws. Over time, introduce seeds of other native butterfly attracting herbs to these natural food patches. Try to introduce vegetation that has staggered blooming seasons so you can offer a steady progression of flowers throughout the warm months. *Mow your meadow areas only at the end of the butterfly season (November in most parts of Florida) to avoid harming larvae. *As you design your landscape plan, select some of your permanent trees, shrubs and A You can make a watering station for butterflies by vines specifically for their butterfly food value. This adding sand to the saucer of a bird bath to reduce its low can be as simple as placing a few depth. Add a rock to the center that can act as a important shrubs in a sunny spot you can see from resting spot. A large saucer designed to fit beneath clay your porch or window. Write for a free fact sheet on flower pots will do the same job handsomely. butterfly gardening from the Nongame Wildlife Program (see page 33) which lists the larval and nectar food tes plants for each common Florida butterfly. *Provide at least one puddle area for your s you create your backyard habitat, don't butterflies, because these insects cannot drink from overlook the nectar-seekers-hummingbirds open water. Wet sand, earth or mud are the best butter- Aand butterflies. They are valuable plant fly watering holes (see illustration). pollinators, and delightful to observe as well. *Enhance your butterfly management effort with It's easy to attract butterflies to your garden by personal observations. Learn which species already providing their favorite nectar-producing flowers. occur in your area and identify the plants they are But to persuade them to stay all summer, you must visiting. Go a step further and study local butterflies also grow those plants that supply food forthe and their preferred plants in more natural field and insects' larval stage. Female butterflies lay their eggs forest settings. Many field guides on butterflies and only on certain plants that will nourish the young local flora can help you in your identification (see caterpillars (larvae) after they hatch. Some page 33). caterpillars feed on just one kind of plant, while *Most important of all, refrain from using others may dine on a broad range of related species. insecticides and herbicides in your habitat. Explain the Zebra swallowtail larvae, for example, feed only on harmful effects of these chemicals to your neighbors as pawpaw plants, while tiger swallowtails will well. consume leaves from many broadleaf shrubs and trees, especially willows and tulip poplars. X Artificial feeders: use with caution The safest, most balanced way to encourage hummingbirds is to provide their favorite nectaring blossoms in sunny habitats. But, as most hummer fans know, sugar-water feeders are usually a sure PXOWW@ draw for these birds. If you choose to supplement the birds'natural diet in this 4M way, protect them from hazardous spoiled solutions by observing the following safety tips: DO use a feeding solution of four parts water to one part white granulated sugar-no stronger. Bring water to a full boil, dissolve in sugar and promptly cool. Refrigerate unused portions. DO choose feeders that can be dismantled and thoroughly cleaned to remove bacteria and fungus molds. Scrub with hot water and vinegar (no soap) every four or five days. DO NOT use honey. It may contain botulism toxins Jfummingfit"rds and fungi fatal to hummingbirds. DO NOT use red dye or commercial solutions with uby-throated hummingbirds, our only red coloring. The red plastic feeders will attract the nesting hummingbird species, are most birds just as well. Rattracted to nectar-rich plants having bright red or orange blossoms of tubular shape. You will have to choose your plants carefully-many of the DO NOT use insect sprays to control bees, wasps or 411 ants on feeders. Vegetable oil applied around the popular, exotic landscape plants are unsuitable for feeder openings and on the suspending wire should nectar-seekers. Stick with flowering natives, discourage these unwanted visitors. Many commercially especially trees, shrubs, vines and perennials which will require a minimum of care. Annuals, on the L available feeders come equipped with plastic bee guards. other hand, must be replaced each year. Single- flowered blossoms have more nectar than double ones, so avoid double-flowered and sterile hybrids. Hummingbird gardens Hummingbirds feed most comfortably from blossoms two feet or higher above the ground. They An excellent planting design for a hummingbird will also visit hanging potted plants and sugar-water garden follows the wildlife landscaping principle of feeders on open patios and porches. Be sure to layered vegetation. Build a cascade of plant attractants consider the best viewing opportunities your by securing a trellis to a wall and covering it with windows and porches afford as you place your trumpet creeper or coral honeysuckle vines. Or hummingbird garden or plants. Remember, too, consider a red buckeye (north Florida) or geiger tree that flowering plants nearly always require full sun. '0 (south Florida) for height at the back of your hummingbird garden. Add lower shrubs such as coral bean or firebush, and then low flowering annuals and perennials closest to the ground. O@19 Rabbits, armadillos, raccoons in your garden? The only permanent solution is fencing. Explore electric, poultry wire or woven wire fences. If you elect to install electric fencing, do not use red insulators. They attract and electrocute hummingbirds. Fences are movable, cost relatively little and save a great deal of Recommendations: frustration. Consider chain link fencing if you're willing to absorb a high initial cost, or if the What about hawks? Most hawks eat mice, neighborhood dog population is especially grasshoppers, rabbits and birds, including exotic, troublesome. nuisance house sparrows. There's simply no possibility that they will deplete the songbirds at your feeder, but Remember, from the standpoint of wildlife, if you manage your yard to concentrate songbirds at domestic cats and dogs are a major source of mortality. a feeding station, predators will eventually notice and It's unfair to attract birds and other animals to a occasionally take an unwary or slow bird. Follow the feeding station if you cannot keep your pets confined. recommendations on page 22 for feeder placement. Be If you have cats in your yard, do not use mixed grain certain the birds have quick access to shrub or brush feeds or ground feeding stations. Sunflower or thistle pile cover. seeds in tube feeders will discourage the especially vulnerable ground feeders, such as doves and quail. Norway or black rats? The best and only really effective way to control rats is to stop feeding them. Don't leave pet food out overnight or stock your fill platform or ground feeders with more than a day's w orth of seed. Use rat-proof containers, such as garbage cans with tightly fitting lids, to store dry foodstuff. Situate brush piles well away from the bases 01 of buildings. Encourage rat snakes! Squirrels at your feeders? Invest in one of the new baffles built for bird feeders. They really work. If you have pole feeders, try greasing the pole with vegetable ,Profi le m uests shortening. It's harmless, biodegradable and hilarious! f you're lucky and you've created a balanced Nest box predators? Keep bird nest boxes on poles; backyard habitat, a complex, interdependent web clear tall vegetation from base of pole. Sheet metal of living creatures is sharing your property. wrapped around wooden poles will prevent predators You've noticed that you can't always pick and from climbing into boxes. choose which insects, birds and other animals move XiN to your yard. And you've found out that living Birds in your berry patch? Try a few strategies. close to wildlife means adapting your behavior to Invest in plastic bird netting. It's the only way to theirs, and outsmarting or excluding them where assure yourself a full crop. Plant native attractants, they create a nuisance you can't live with. such as wild cherry, elderberry, pokeweed and A"" mulberries, which will dull the birds' appetite for cultivated fruits. Place one or two nest boxes for k@,kN- , -, I @2 Carolina wrens near your fruit crops. These insect- I't"IP eating wrens are very territorial and will harass other birds that venture near their homes. 20 0@ Nest Box Dimensions For Florida Cavity Nesters Depth Ht. of Diam. Ht. Floor of of Entrance of Above Species Cavity Cavity Above Fl. Entrance Ground Special Notes T Inches Inches Inches Inches Feet can use shelf, basket Carolina Wren 4 x 4 8 1-6 1 '/4 6-10 or gourd Bluebird 5 x 5 8 6 1 '12 5-10 Crested Flycatcher 6 x 6 to 6 2 8-20 Purple Martin 6 x 6 1 6 1-2 2-21/4 1 10-20 will also use gourd IV, Wood Duck 10 x 10 24 20 3':,high land: 15-25 use predator guard x 4 wide water: 5-25 Put 3-4" sawdust Downy Woodpecker 4 x 4 to 8 1 '/4 6-20 in box Red-bellied or Red- 6 x 6 t5 9 2 8-20 put 3-4" sawdust headed Woodpecker in box 7 x 7 18 14 2@@ 70 put 3-4" sawdust Flicker 8-, in box rv Tufted Titmouse 4 x 4 8 6 1 '/4 5-15 Chickadee 4 x 4 8 6 11/8 5-15 3- high use coping saw to Screech Owl lox 10 24 20 x 4" wide 10-30 cut hole Barred and Barn Owl rl2xl2 1 25-28 12-1 10-30 1 T hink of the delight children and adults both buyers than birds. Keep in mind that each experience when they watch birds building species has preferred nesting requirements (see table). A good bird house should: their nests, and the awe they feel when they The closer you match these preferences, the more spot the first fledglings peeking out, then learning to likely it is that your nesting structure will become 1. Have ventilation holes under roof overhang. fly! Erecting a properly designed nest box promises not occupied. 2. Have drainage holes. only education and entertainment, but the potential Boxes should be built of 3/4-inch durable woods 3. Have cleats or be roughened with a wood chisel for significant increases in local bird populations. such as cypress, western cedar or exterior-grade beneath the entrance hole to help birds climb At least 22 resident Florida birds nest in cavities in plywood. Use rough-cut grade lumber; it will blend out. trees or branches. Some do their own excavating, but nicely with the natural habitat you are creating and 4. Be built for a definite species; proper entrance most depend on natural cavities chiseled out and then give the birds a foothold when they climb out of the size and cavity depth very important. abandoned by woodpeckers. If you think natural box. Avoid using plastic or metal boxes. They absorb 5. Have roof extending over all sections for nesting cavities are scarce in your neighborhood, you too much heat during our scorching summers and may maximum protection. should supply artificial nest structures. bake the fledglings. Exceptions to this rule are the When buying or building a bird house, make sure it anodized aluminum purple martin houses now is designed for a specific species-not just for "birds." available. These structures have a relatively large Commercial boxes are often built more to attract entrance and central ventilating shaft that opens to each compartment and provides sufficient cooling. Supplementing Your Backyard Habitat &21 Feeding Stations Remember to locate your feeders in spots that are easily visible from your house. Be certain that birds A good bird feeder should: have access to thick shrub or tree cover in which to F eeding birds is a popular backyard activity in escape predators within 10 to 20 feet of the feeder. I. Hold enough food for two or three days use. Florida-a 1985 survey revealed that 66 However, don't place feeders in the middle of dense 2. Protect the food from inclement weather percent of all respondents had fed birds or other shrubbery; these locations can work against the birds because wet grain spoils quickly. Moldy food is wildlife around their homes in the past year. There's and in favor of a stalking cat. Windows can be another unhealthy for birds. certainly no easier place to introduce children and hazard to birds frequenting feeders. Bird collisions 3. Be free from predators. Use pole guards if adults alike to the joys of bird-watching than at a with windows usually result from confusing scenic necessary and locate close to cover. backyard feeder. just offer food under reasonably reflections and seemingly open passageways. You can 4. Keep spillage and waste to a minimum. sanitary conditions, and you needn't worry about ill cut down on these accidents by hanging a mobile or 5. Be easily seen from your favorite observation effects of supplemental feeding on local bird using stained glass or the silhouette of a hawk to break point near a window, patio or porch. populations. up reflections on the windows. 6. Be maintained year-round. Let variety be your guide when you set up a bird feeding station. You'll find that each species strongly REMEMBER, birds will readily visit backyard feeders, prefers certain foods and feeding situations. even in relatively barren habitat. However, permanent Seeds are a favorite with many birds because of their increases in local bird populations will only occur as high protein and fat content. Studies have shown that your landscape (their habitat) grows in richness and the top grain choices for birds are oil, striped and diversity. hulled sunflower seeds; fine cracked corn; white proso millet; and niger (thistle) seed. Use separate feeders for different kinds of grain to reduce competition at Recipe for Suet Cake feeders and prevent grain loss. Avoid most commercial I cup ground suet seed mixes. They are usually wasteful, because the birds 1 cup smooth peanut butter pick out only the grains they prefer; the rest ends up 2-3 cups yellow corn meal on the ground and sprouts. You may be able to 1/2 cup enriched white or whole wheat flour eliminate some nuisance species if you keep their (1) Melt suet in saucepan. preferred food items out of your feeders. Milo and hulled oats attract starlings. Wheat is preferred by (2) Add peanut butter, stirring until melted and blended. (3) In a separate bowl, mix together the dry ingredients. brown-headed cowbirds and house sparrows. Consult (4) When the suet/peanut butter mix has cooled and the references on page 33 if you'd like to learn more begins to thicken, add the dry ingredients and X4, about individual bird species' feeding preferences. blend thoroughly. Try placing several kinds of feeders at various (5) Stuff mixture into a pine cone or form into heights and locations in your garden to accommodate cakes in muffin tins for use in suet feeders. & the different eating styles of your birds. A varied 7., backyard feeding program might include: F millet and cracked corn on the ground for doves, 7. towhees, sparrows and quail (unless cats, mice or rats are a problem). sunflower seeds, mixed grains and fruit offered on platform or hopper feeders three or four feet off the @J ground for perching birds like cardinals, finches and grosbeaks. a suet feeder suspended or attached to a tree limb. It may attract at least 12 different species of birds on a year-round basis. Raw suet will become rancid quickly, so use the suet cake recipe on this page and place the feeder in a shady location. 22& Misters Water You should time your mister's operation to backyard habitat isn't complete withou ------ minimize cost and wasted water. Both migrant and water for drinking and bathing. In fact, resident birds are most active between sunrise and Afurnishing clean water at the right height with 10-00 a.m., and again in the later afternoon and early prot evening. Install a timer at your hose outlet to activate ective cover nearby is one of the most useful the mister jet only at those times. methods you can use to attract birds and improve wildlife habitat. A predatot-safe birdbath will lure species that seldom visit feeders, especially during spring and fall migrations and the hot summer months. Many migrant songbirds, including warblers, vireos, and gnatcatchers, normally dwell in the forest canopy. Other backyard residents, including catbirds, thrashers, Detail of nust nonle wrens, towhees and thrushes, haunt secretive thickets to avoid predators and venture away from cover only briefly. In the wild, they drink and bathe in water droplets among leafy branches, and in bromeliad cups" located close to dense, low shrubbery. As a result, Florida's many lakes and streams, as well as the rockpits and miles of canals that criss-cross south Florida, are virtually useless to most songbirds and small mammals. A few migrants, including robins, wilt use canal edges, but even they seem to prefer shallow birdbaths. Almost any flat receptacle that holds water will attract birds. An upside-down garbage can lid is a simple and inexpensive model. A really successful bird bath: *is located in a shady, protected spot about 15 feet Al. @4 from shrubbery and is mounted three feet off the ground. *has a dry edge or "beach" around the perimeter an d then a gradual slope to a depth of two to three inches in the center. Birds will not bathe in most commercial bird baths because the sides are too steep. *has a rough bottom for safe footholds. *has "live" or moving water. Misting or dripping birds that might otherwise overlook the water attracts C_ bath. Thin metal bird baths magnify the sound of failing water droplets which birds find so irresistable. The best design should include a thin jet or mist of water that shoots vertically into overhanging tree branches and then drips back into the bath. Keep your wildlife water supply both dependable and clean. Unpredictable water sources are rarely visited. N Native Plants for Backyard Florida Habitats C his table lists 55 trees, 28 shrubs and small trees, and seven vines with T excellent wildlife value for home landscapes. All are native to Florida. You can identify potential plants for your landscape by checking their preferred temperature zones and soil types. The climate map will help you determine whether you live in north (N), central (C), south (S) or semitropical (SS) Florida. Soil types are broadly classified as wet, poorly drained (W); garden soils with average moisture, i.e., pine flatwoods, mulched urban fill soils (A); and very dry or xeric soils that are rarely or never flooded, usually in full sun situations (D). The table also tells you whether the plant is evergreen (E) or deciduous (D-seasonally drops S and regrows its leaves) and when it fruits: summer (S), fall (F), winter (W) or spring (Sp). Season of flowering is marked with an asterisk if important to wildlife. Both common and scientific names are provided to help you purchase exactly what you want from a plant nursery. Use references on page 33 to learn more about individual plant species. S Evergreen or Season of Zone Deciduous Fruiting Soil Value to Wildlife TREES American Beech N D F A Nuts eaten by game birds, mammals, woodpeckers, blue jays, titmice, nuthatches, grackles, cardinals, (Fagus grandifolia) towhees. Buttonwood C (Barrier E SP-W W-A Excellent cover and nesting plant; can be trimmed into hedge; salt tolerant, wind resistant and tolerates (ConocaTpus erectus) islands), S,SS wet areas. Cedar, Southern Red All E F-W All Good cover and nesting sites; blue fruit attracts tree swallows, cedar waxwings, mockingbirds, yellow- Uuniperus silicicola) rumped warblers, bluebirds, flickers, yellow-bellied sapsuckers, opossums, armadillos. Cherry, Black N,C D S A-D Very important summer food plant; fruit eaten by many bird species and gray squirrels; tent caterpillars (Prunus serotina) which infest tree in spring, eaten by yellow-billed cuckoos. Many bird species feed on this dark fruit at a time when tittle else is available; can be used as an Cherry Laurel All E W A-D informal privacy hedge. 24 Evergreen or Season of Zone Deciduous Fruiting Soil Value to Wildlife Coffee Colubrina S'SS E F-Sp* A Fragrant green flowers in fall attract abundant insects, honeybees, wasps, butterflies, diurnal moths, (Colubrina aTbarescens) which in turn attract warblers, gnatcatchers, kingbirds, vireos and flycatchers, Crabapple, Southern N D S A Fruit eaten by mockingbirds and other bird species. (Malus angustifolia) Cypress, Bald All D F-W W-A (Taxodium distichum) Seed cones used by gray squirrels, ducks, sandhill cranes, others; long-lived, pest-free tree. Cypress, Pond (T. ascendens) All D F-W W-A Dogwood, Flowering N,C D F A Bright red fruit very attractive to many species of birds. (Cornus florida) Elm, Winged N,C D Sp W-A Early source of seeds for many songbirds, including finches, sparrows, grosbeaks; fox and gray squirrels (Ulmus alata) and rabbits also utilize elm fruits. Geiger Tree S'SS (Cordia sebestena) (FL Keys) E F-Sp* A Bright orange flowers relished by hummingbirds; cold sensitive. Gum, Black or Blue fruit eaten by many birds, including woodpeckers, blue jays, bluebirds, cardinals, wood ducks and Tupelo N,C,S D F W-A others; hollows in old trees used by birds and mammals; flowers important for bees. (Nyssa sylvatica) Gumbo-limbo C (Barrier D S A Clusters of red fruit eaten by mockingbirds and vireos; warblers and flycatchers often seen in canopy. (Bursera simaTuba) islands), S,SS Hackberry or Dark fruit eaten bv many birds, including catbirds, mockingbirds, robins, thrashers, towhees, cedar Sugarberry All D S-F All waxwings, flickers; butterfly larvae. (Celtis laevigata) Hawthorn N,C D SP-S A Red or yellow fruit eaten by birds and mammals, including foxes, otters, rabbits; provides good cover (Crataegus spp.) and nesting sites; thorny. Hickory N,C,S D F A Nuts eaten by squirrels, wood ducks, blue jays, woodpeckers and crows. (Ca-fya spp.) HOLLIES (Ilex spp.) American N,C E F-W A Female plants bear red fruit that persists into the winter; eaten by many species of birds; good cover; (Ilex opaca) yaupon holly is salt tolerant; summer plants important source of pollen for bees. 25 Evergreen or Season of Zone Deciduous Fruiting Soil Value to Wildlife Yaupon N,C,S E F-W All (I. vomitoria) Continued from previous page. Dahoon All E F-W All (I. cassine) Hornbearn, Blue NIC D S-F W-A Nuts eaten by squirrels and some birds. (CaTpinus caroliniana) Lancewood S'SS E F A Deep purple fruit especially attractive to wood thrushes and veerys. (Nectandra coriacea) Magnolia, Southern N,C,S E F A (Magnolia grandiflora, Good cover for songbirds; red fruit eaten by woodpeckers, red-eyed vireos and others. Magnolia, Sweetbay N,C,S E F W-A (M. virginiana) Maple, Red All D S A (Acer rubrum) Maple, Florida Sugar All D S A Winged seeds eaten by some birds and mammals. (A. barbatum) Mastic (Mastichodendron S'SS E SP-W A Yellow fleshy fruit eaten bv birds, raccoons, opossums; known as "jungle plum". foetidissimum) Mulberry, Red Usually only female plants bear fruit; abundant berries attract woodpeckers (including pileated), All D Sp W-A kingbirds, great crested flycatchers, blue jays, crows, titmice, mockingbirds, thrashers, grackles, (Morus rubra) summer tanagers, cedar waxwings, opossums, raccoons, squirrels. OAKS Quercus spp.) Live Oak All E F-W A-D (Q. virginiana) White Oak N D F-W A Acorns are a primary wildlife food source and have high energy value; eaten by game birds, (Q. alba) woodpeckers (especially red-headed), blue jays, raccoons, quail, gray squirrels, flying squirrels, bears. Basket Oak provides good cover and nesting sites, den trees and nesting materials, including lots of Spanish moss; (Q. michauzii) N,C D F-W A many warbler species may be found in live oaks feeding on insects; live oak is salt tolerant. Laurel Oak I- 1 .1 .. I E F-W W-A (Q. launfolia) Myrtle Oak N,C,S E F-W A-D (Q. myrtifolia) 26 iJ 4L- 4W Southern red cedar Southern magnolia Coral honeysuckle Evergreen or Season of Zone Deciduous Fruiting Soil Value to Wildlife Shumard Oak N,C D F-W A (Q. shumardii) Continued from previous page. Water Oak N,C,S D F-W W-A (Q. nigra) Palm, Cabbage or Our state tree; white flowers attract honeybees and other insects; black fruit eaten by many birds, Sabal All E F All especially robins, grackles, mockingbirds, thrashers, red-bellied woodpeckers, catbirds, and raccoons; S* palm thatch used as nest building material; frogs, lizards and insects live in crown where moisture (Sabal palmetto) collects; salt tolerant. Palm, Florida Royal S'SS E S A Abundant fruits used by many birds. (Roystonea elata) Palm, Silver SISS E S A Large clusters of dark purple fruits eaten by many birds. (CoccothTinax aTgentata) Palm, Thatch (Thrinax radiata) S'SS E S A Copious white fruits used by songbirds. (T. morrissii) Paradise Tree S'SS E Sp A Abundant red fruits. (Simarouba glauca) Persimmon Female plants bear fleshy fruit in the fall and often persist into winter; important food for raccoons, (Diospyros virginiana) All D F All opossums, foxes, skunks and many birds. 27 Evergreen or Season of Zone Deciduous Fruiting Soil Value to Wildlife Pigeon Plum Female trees bear dark purple fruit eaten by many birds and other wildlife; fruit is also sold in (Coccoloba diversifolia) S'SS E F-W A Bahamian markets; salt tolerant. PINES (Pinus spp.) Slash Pine All E F All (R elliottii) Longleaf Pine N,C,S E F All Pine seeds are of major importance to wildlife, although the crop of seeds varies considerably from year (P. palustris) Loblolly Pine to year; good cover; seeds eaten by chickadees, blue jays, nuthatches, pine siskins, quail, pine warblers (P. taeda) N,C E F All and other birds, as well as fox squirrels and gray squirrels; old growth pines provide good nesting Spruce Pine N,C E F A cavities; slash pine is salt tolerant. (P. glabra) Sand Pine (P. clausa) N,C,S E F D Sea Grape C (Barrier E S-F A Good honey plant; fleshy fruit eaten by raccoons, turtles and various bird species; salt tolerant. (Coccoloba uvifera) islands), S,SS (All year, South) Short-Leaf Fig S'SS E Sp-W A Attracts many fruit-eating and insect-eating birds; cedar waxwings often swarm on it. (Ficus citrifolia) Stoppers S'SS E S-F A Four species are excellent bird-attracting native landscape trees. (Eugenia spp.) Strangler Fig C (Barrier E Sp-W All Attracts swarms of cedar waxwings and many other birds; invasive roots. (Ficus aurea) islands), S,SS Sweetgum Seeds in "gum balls" eaten by goldfinches, siskins, wrens, chickadees, titmice, cardinals, quail and (Liquidambar N,C,S D F-W W-A purple finches. styraciflua) Wild Lime C (Coast), S,SS E S A Excellent butterfly plant. (Zanthoxylum fagara) Wild Tamarind SISS E to semi-D Sp-W A Persistent flowers in April, followed by thin, flat, pea-like pods with black seeds; attracts warblers, (Lysitoma latisiliqua) Sp-S* gnatcatchers, redstarts, flycatchers. Willow Bustic S'SS E S A-D Small black fruits used by many species; excellent pioneer tree for poor soils. (Dipholis salicifolia) 28 -/00 Ok@ Yaupon holly Necklace pod Wild coffee' Evergreen or Season of Zone Deciduous Fruiting Soil Value to Wildlife SHRUBS AND SMALL TREES American Beautyberry All D F All Bright purple berries eaten by woodpeckers, mockingbirds, cardinals and other bird species. (Callicarpa americana) 11.910 "wer SC (Barrier E (Annual) Sp-F A Bright red peppers highly favored by catbirds and mockingbirds. annum) islands), SS Blackberry N,C,S D S All Berries are one of the most valuable summer foods for wildlife; berries eaten by many bird species and (Rubus spp.) raccoons, squirrels, box turtles; excellent cover for wildlife. SSS E S A Bright pink fruits prized by songbird& Blueberry N,C,S D S All Blueberries are an important summer food source for wildlife; eaten by many bird and mammal species; (Vaccinium spp.) good for hedgerows. Yet N,C D SP* A Red tubular flowers feed hummingbirds; nutlike fruit eaten by squirrels in fall. ,(A'*"ha Pavia) F-W Cactus, Prickly Pear All E S-F A-D Persistent fruit eaten by raccoons, gopher tortoises, Florida box turtles, eastern woodrats. (Opuntia spp.) COWPIUM S,SS E S All Large fruits edible by humans and wildlife. __(CWrys&aIAnu 29 Evergreen or Season of Zone Deciduous Fruiting Soil Value to Wildlife Coffee, Wild C'S'SS E S A Fleshy red berries widely used by wildlife species. (Psychotria nervosa) Coral Bean All D Sp* All Red flowers provide nectar for hummingbirds. (Erythrina herbacea) F-W Elderberry All E S-F W-A Excellent summer source of food for wildlife; deep purple fruit eaten by many bird species. (Sambucus canadensis) (All year) Firebush (Hametia patens) S'SS E Sp-W* A Orange-red tubular flowers throughout year attract hummingbirds and butterflies. Florida Trema S'SS E S A Large quantities of small fruits eaten by many birds. (Trema micrantha) Fringe Tree (Chionanthus N,C D S-F W-A Fruits eaten by many birds and mammals. virginicw) Marlberry (Ardisia C(Coast), S,SS E Sp-W A Purple fruit eaten by most fruit-eating birds. escallonioides) F-W* Myrsine C'S'SS E Sp-W A-W Good food, cover, and nesting sites for many birds; good hedge plant for barrier islands. (Myrsine floridana) F-W* Necklace Pod (Sophora tomentosa) S'SS E Sp-W A Yellow, pea-like flowers provide nectar for hummingbirds and attract insects, which in turn W-Sp* attract vireos and warblers. Palmetto, Saw Spring flowers provide nectar for honeybees; fruit eaten by several bird species and raccoons; excellent (Serenoa repens) All E SP All cover. S Pokeweed (Phytolacca All D S-F All A weed worth cultivating; dark purple fruit eaten by many songbirds, including bluebirds, cardinals, americana) thrashers, thrushes, waxwings, raccoons, opossums and foxes. Privet, Florida CISISS E SP A Spring flowers attract insects during spring migration, and many warblers come to feast on the insects; (Forestiera segregata) S small dark fruit on plants consumed by a number of species. Sassafras N,C D S-F A Dark blue fruit eaten by kingbirds, crested flycatchers, phoebes, pileated woodpeckers, mockingbirds, (Sassafras albidum) thrashers, catbirds and flickers. 30 mom= 4L Sweetbay magnolia Pond cypress Sea grape Evergreen or Season of Zone Deciduous Fruiting Soil Value to Wildlife Seven-year Apple S'SS E S* A Persistent fragrant white flowers provide nectar for hummingbirds. (Casasia dusiifolia) Sp-W Spicewood (Calyptranthes S'SS E F A Purple blueberry-like fruit are long-lasting and attract many species of birds. pallens) Sumac, Winged N,C,S D F-W All Fruit is not preferred but is consumed by songbirds in late winter when little else is available. (Rhus copallina) Tetrazygia S'SS E S-F A Blueberry-sized fruit is favorite of mockingbirds, catbirds, thrushes and thrashers. (Tetrazygia bicolor) Torchwood S'SS E S A Valuable larval food plant for Schaus'swallowtail butterfly. (Amyris elemifera) Viburnum N,C D F W-A Berries of native viburnums eaten by several bird species. (Vibumum spp.) 4% Wax Myrtle All E F-W All Female plants produce small waxy berries; eaten by many species of birds, especially yellow-rumped (Myricu cerifera) warblers, white-eyed vireos, ruby-crowned kinglets and quail; flocks of tree swallows will often swarm to feed on berries; excellent hedge plant; salt tolerant. 31 Geiger Trumpet Vine Greenbrier Evergreen or Season of Zone Deciduous Fruiting Soil Value to Wildlife VINES Cross Vine (BignonLa capreolata) N,C Sema-E S A Yellow-orange flowers provide nectar for hummingbirds Sp GraM Muscadine All D S All Tangles provide good cover, bark is used by some species for nesting, fruit eaten by variety of birds (Vitts rotundifolia) and skunks, foxes, raccoons, rabbits, opossums and squirrels Greenbrier All ED F-W All Tangles provide good cover and nest sites, persistent fruit eaten by a number of songbirds and small (Smilax spp ) maimmals Honeysuckle, Coral (Lonicera N,C,S D sp.S@ A Red tubular flowers attract hummingbirds, the exotic Japanese honeysuckle also attracts hurnmers but sempeyvirens) Partially E should not be encouraged due to its invasive quality Poison Ivy Though not recommended for planting, it's nice to recognize its value as wildlife food, berries are eaten (Toxicodendron All D S-F All by many species of birds radicans) Trumpet Vine NIC,S D Sp-S* A Orange flowers provide nectar for humnungbirds (Campsis radicatis) Virginia Creeper All D S-F All Small dark berries eaten by mockingbirds, robins, bluebirds, thrashers and others (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) *Indicates season 32 when flowers are Photo credits (by page number): Black and D.F. Hamilton. Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Gainesville, FL, 1984. Donna Legate: 1, 4A, 27C 3. Trees of Northern Florida. Herman Kurz and Robert K. Barry Mansell: 4B Godfrey. Regency Press, Gainesville, FL, 1962. Greg Brock/DNR: 4C 4. A Flora of Tropical Florida. R.W. Long and 0. Lakela. Ray Plockelman: 4D, 12C Banyon Press, Miami, FL, 1978. Florida Park Service/DNR: 6 0 NATURAL LANDSCAPING Pine jog Environmental Center: 12A 1. Landscaping With Wildflowers and Native Plants. Mark Robson: 12B William Wilson. Ortho Books, San Francisco, CA, 1984. Peter May: 14A L 2. Nature's Design. Carol A. Smyser. Rodale Press, John H. Kaufmann: 14B Emmaus, Pennsylvania, PA, 1982. Reed Bowman/National Audubon Society: 14C El ATTRACTING WILDLIFE Dana C. Bryan: 27A 1. How to Attract Birds. Michael McKinley. Ortho Books, USDA Soil Conservation Service: 29A San Francisco, CA, 1983. Richrad Moyroud: 27B, 29BC, 31B 2. Wildlife in Your Garden. Gene Logsden. Rodale N Steve Farnsworth: 31A Press, Emmaus, Pennsylvania, PA, 1983. Tim McCabe/USDA Soil Conservation Service: 3 1 C 3. The Audubon Society Guide to Attracting Birds. Stephen Kress. Charles Scribner's Sons, New York, NY, 1985. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 4. The Butterfly Garden. Mathew Tekulsky. Harvard he Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Governmental agencies: Common Press, Boston, MA, 1985. Commission's Nongame Wildlife Program 5. The New Handbook for Attracting Birds. T.P. Twas created by the 1984 Florida Legislature The Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission, the McElroy. W.W. Norton and Company, New York, NY, 1985. USDA Soil Conservation Service, the Cooperative Extension 6. American Wildlife and Plants: A Guide to Wildlife to conserve and manage the full range of wildlife in Service and many other federal, state and local agencies can Food Habitats. A.C. Martin, H.S. Zim and A.L. Nelson. our state. The goals of the program are (1) to offer invaluable assistance to the backyard naturalist. The Dover Publications, New York, NY, 195 1. maintain and restore the richness and natural Florida Division of Forestry and many local Soil and Water 0 BIRDS diversity of Florida's nongame wildlife and (2) to Conservation Districts can provide you with tree seedlings at 1. Birds of North America. C.S. Robbins, B. Bruun and establish an integrated and coordinated approach to a very low cost. H.S. Zim. Golden Press, New York, NY, 1966. the management, appreciation and conservation of Nurseries: 2. A Field Guide to Birds. R,T. Peterson. Houghton nongame wildlife. Florida now has more than 40 native plant nurseries. Most Mifflin Company, Boston, MA, 1980. You can help contriYute to this effort when you are listed in a new directory published by the Association of El MAMMALS Florida Native Nurseries, Inc., which is available for a $1.00 1. The Audubon Society Field Guide to North annually renew your Florida vehicle registration by postage and handling fee from the Florida Native Plant American Mammals. J.0. Whitaker. Alfred A. Knopf, New adding an extra dollar to the cost of your license Society, 1133 West Morse Boulevard, Suite 201, Winter York, NY, 1980. tag. That dollar will be deposited into the Nongame Park, Florida 32789. Many other nurseries also offer native 2. A Field Guide to the Mammals. W.H. Burt and R.P. Wildlife Trust Fund to help ensure that future plants and can provide excellent advice on selecting and Grossenheider. Houghton Mifflin, Boston, MA, 1976. Floridians enjoy the same diversity of wildlife that planting vegetation for your growing conditions. El REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS we enjoy today. Habitat Program: 1. Handbook of Reptiles and Amphibians of Florida, If you would like to learn more about the The National Wildlife Federation's Backyard Wildlife Part One: The Snakes. R.E. Ashton and P.S. Ashton. Nongame Wildlife Program, write to: Habitat Program offers homeowners a chance to certify their Windward Publishing, Inc., Miami, FL, 1981. yards as official NWF habitat if their property meets criteria 2. Handbook of Reptiles and Amphibians of Florida, Nongame Wildlife Program for food, cover, water and other features. NWF offers a Part Two: Lizards, Turtles and Crocodilians. Windward variety of helpful publications, including a "Gardening with Publishing, Inc., Miami, FL, 1985. Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission Wildlife Kit" (National Wildlifc Federation, 1412-16th 3. A Field Guide to the Reptiles and Amphibians ot 6270 South Meridian Street Street N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036-2266). Eastern and Central North America. Roger Conant. Tallahassee, Florida 32301 Houghton Mifflin, Boston, MA, 1975. Helpful References 4. The Audubon Society Field Guide to North Here are a few of the best references available to help you with American Reptiles and Amphibians. J.L. Behler and F.W. This guide to planting for wildlife was produced your backyard habitat. King. Alfred A. Knopf, New York, NY, 1979. at an annual cost of $25,590-77, or $0.73 per 0 NATIVE PLANTS El BUTTERFLIES copy, to inform Floridians how to create I. Growing Native: Native Plants for Landscape Use 1. A Field Guide to the Butterflies of North America. in Coastal South Florida. Richard Workman. Sanibel- A I-xander Klots. Houghton Mifflin, Boston, MA, 195 1. backyard habitats for wildlife. 86/7NG12 CaPtiva Conservation Foundation, Inc., Sanibel, FL, 1980. 2. The Audubon Society Handbook for Butterfly Watchers. R.M. Pyle. Charles Scribners' Sons, New York, 2. Native Florida Plants for Home Landscaping. R.J- NY, 1984. 33 is 10 36 68 1 6