Wren on Redbud
by Doreen Smith
from her slide presentation for the January 2000 Marin CNPS membership meeting
Before humans altered the native California vegetation patterns the native birds occupied all habitats in Marin County. If you are planning to garden with some or all native plants you might want to know which birds are most compatible with which plants. Birds require cover, nesting sites and food. Many plants provide all three. A balance of trees, shrubs and herbaceous species is ideal for both humans and birds. If your garden is on the margins of one of the wildland areas, the birds most attracted to that plant community are in the neighborhood and likely to visit you. Some very urban areas also have native bird populations. If you like herbaceous perennials, hummingbirds are particularly easy to attract in Marin County. One thing to remember is that if you use chemical pesticides in the garden, the insects many birds feed on become poisoned and poisonous to the birds; it is unkind to attract birds to such a spot. Usually an “organic” garden can be attractive to humans and in balance ecologically. Provide water, keep your cats inside and enjoy your birds and flowers.
Native Trees for the birds
Trees are the backbone of a garden and if you are lucky you naturally have one or more natives already present in your landscaping. If you are considering planting trees many are fast-growing, such as Redwoods and Pines. Be cautious with these, think of the likely result of 10 or more years growth. Alders, Bays, Buckeyes, Maples and Oaks are slower but still can make large trees in a surprisingly short time, however the habitat for birds is superb.
| Alder Alnus rhombifolia |
Red-breasted sapsucker, Pine siskin, American goldfinch, Mourning dove, Yellow warbler, Song sparrow, Purple finch, Cedar waxwing, Kinglets, bushtits, and vireos |
| Bay Umbellularia californica |
Flowers feed hummingbirds ‘Nuts” when crushed can be eaten by Yellow rumped warblers Good shelter foliage |
| Buckeye Aesculus californica |
Hummingbirds Bark insects attract woodpeckers and nuthatches. |
| Madrone Arbutus menziesii |
Flowers eaten by Black-headed grosbeak and Band-tailed pigeon. Fruits attract Song sparrows, flickers, grosbeaks, robins, thrushes and waxwings. |
| Maple Acer macrophyllum |
Seeds and flowers eaten by Evening grosbeak, Black- headed grosbeak, goldfinches, and pine siskin. Good for insects for warblers, vireos, bushtits and kinglets. |
| Oaks Quercus spp. |
Some of the greatest bird trees! Nest sites, insects, acorns. You name it, it is likely to visit, oak titmice etc. etc. |
| Pines Pinus spp. |
If you have these, juncos, creepers and chestnut-backed chickadees will visit. Pt. Reyes denizens can expect pigmy nuthatches. |
| Redwood Sequoia sempervirens |
Attracts forest birds, juncos, chestnut backed chickadees. creepers. |
Native Shrubs for the birds
Many are drought tolerant, ideal in our Mediterranean climate
| Manzanitas Arctostaphylos spp. |
Edible fruit can attract mockingbirds, robins and Cedar Waxwings. Low-growing shrubby cover for quail and wren-tits. Flowers for hummingbirds. |
| Sagebrush Artemisia californica |
Cover for coastal birds. |
| Coyotebush Baccharis pilularis |
Cover for nests and seeds for goldcrowned sparrow. Insects for other bird species. |
| Blueblossom California “Lilac” Ceanothus spp. |
Seeds for bushtits, mockingbirds, quail and finches. Good cover shrubs. |
| Redbud Cercis occidentalis |
Hummingbirds go for nectar, goldfinches will eat seed. |
| Creek Dogwood Cornus sericea |
Western tanager and warblers eat the flowers fruits for Grosbeak, Northern oriole, flickers, robins, thrashers, vireos, woodpeckers, sparrow and finches |
| Toyon Heteromeles arbutifolia |
Fruit for Cedar waxwing, California towhee, Spotted towhee, Western bluebird, robins, mockingbirds, bandtailed pigeon, waxwing, quail. |
| Oregon grape Mahonia spp. |
Fruit taken by robins, finches, towhees Flowers have nectar for hummingbirds. |
| Monkeyflower Mimulus spp. |
Cultivars come in several colors, hummingbirds. |
| Wax-myrtle Myrica califonica |
Berries attract flickers, robins and finches. |
| Holly-leaf cherry Prunus illicifolia and Catalina cherry Prunus lyonii |
Fruit for robins, finches, towhees, cedar waxwing. |
| Coffeeberry Rhamnus californica |
Black juicy fruit in fall for thrushes, jays, mockingbirds, robins, bandtailed pigeon and purple finch. |
| Gooseberries, currants Ribes spp. |
Berries for the. usual birds as above. Flowers in early spring for hummingbirds. |
| Native roses Rosa spp. |
Only for the wild garden, but have vitamin-laden fruit. |
| Willows Salix spp. |
Few recommended for gardens but if you have them they are very desirable to many spp. of songbirds. |
| Elderberries Sambucus spp. |
Ripe berries feed many. species of bird, host to insects High on birds favorite list! |
| Snowberries Symphoricarpus spp. |
Hummingbirds like the flowers. Makes shrubby thickets for cover. Berries are palatable to hermit thrush, Swainson’s thrush, robins and other spp. |
| Huckleberry Vaccinium ovatum |
Flowers for hummingbirds, berries for the usual suspects. |
Native herbaceous plants for birds
Most of these are hummingbird attractors, many are red or pink, their favorite colors:
| Columbine, Aquilegia formosa |
| Red Larkspur, Delphinium cardinale |
| Bleeding heart, Dicentra formosa |
| Alum Roots, Heuchera spp. |
| Leopard Lily, Lilium pardalinum |
| Scarlet Monkeyflower, Mimulus cardinalis |
| Blue Penstemon, Penstemon heterophyllus |
| Flowering Sage, Salvia spp. |
Native annuals provide seed that birds relish
Any California native spp. e.g. Baby-blue-eyes, Tidytips
Fruit from native groundcover
Strawberries, Fragaria chiloensis and Fragaria vesca