Talk to anyone involved in the improvement of wildlife habitat and you will hear four words – food, water, cover, and space. These are the four essentials for wildlife. Without them you can have the best intentions in the world, but you won’t attract a wide variety of species to your property.
Food & Water Essential Elements of a Wildlife Habitat For more nature habitat information Visit these helpful websites: A Plant's Home A Bird's Home A Homesteader's Home
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ildlife doesn’t just randomly occur in a given area; it is there in response to habitat which meets its needs. As beautiful as humans may find a house surrounded by acres of emerald-green mowed lawn, such a scene offers neither food nor shelter for local species. If you want wildlife to be part of your environment, you have to do some planning to include suitable habitat in your landscape.
Food for Wildlife The first essential that we tend to think about is food. Indeed, one of the most popular nature activities in this country is bird feeding. What we may forget, however, is that there are many species of birds, a great number of which are not seed-eaters and will never visit our feeders, but all of which need food throughout the year. The same is true of other wildlife, and this can give us the basis of our landscape planning. It also means that we need to reconsider our attitudes towards yard maintenance. Insecticides can kill food sources and poison many of the species that we want to attract, so its use needs to be curtailed. Choosing native plants and limiting lawn areas will help lessen dependence on pesticides and herbicides. While we view weeds and wild vines as nuisance plants, wildlife sees them as valuable sources of food and shelter, so we should look for areas where they can be left to grow.
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In addition to food, you might want to offer supplements such as grit or gravel to aid birds with digestion, crushed eggshells to add calcium during egg production, and salt which is necessary for many species. A little research into the wildlife in your area and its preferred food should give you a number of ideas on what to provide and how to present it.
Instead of constantly grooming our yards, leaving perennial seed heads in place for winter food, allowing dead trees and logs to remain for both food and shelter, and refraining from raking up dropped nuts and fruits are all changes that will attract a variety of wildlife to our property – and save us money, time, and effort as well.
Variety is Best When choosing plants for wildlife food, think in terms of variety, both of the type of food offered and the season in which it will be available. Consider berries, other kinds of fruit, tender buds and bark, nuts, pine cones, crops such as corn or sunflowers, seed-producing grasses, flowers high in nectar, and host plants for caterpillars. If you have a pond, a number of wetland plants also have excellent food value. Whenever possible, incorporate native plants into your property since
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these have evolved with the wildlife to best meet its needs. Some introduced plants and developed cultivars also have a lot to offer wildlife, but try not to add any exotic flora to your landscape that is known to be invasive to the point of overpowering local native species.
Water for Wildlife Water, as we all know, is vital for all living things. Many of us supply bird baths in the summer, but we tend to forget about other times, especially during the winter. Just as we make sure that our household pets have fresh water all year around, so do wildlife species need a dependable source of water, especially when cold temperatures eliminate their normal drinking locations.
If the size of your property or other factors make it hard to increase the variety of plants, consider adding wildlife feeders. Most of us are familiar with the many bird feeders now on the market, some even designed for specific types of seed, but there are feeders for other creatures as well. Suet feeders appeal to insecteating birds, corn feeders can help deer and pheasants survive heavy winters. There are nectar feeders designed to attract both hummingbirds and butterflies, and squirrels enjoy dried ears of corn on spike feeders.
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It takes a little more effort to supply water when temperatures dip below freezing, but the rewards are great as you watch wildlife – including species that you won’t see at feeders – take advantage of a chance to drink and bathe. Water can be provided in a variety of ways, but as you plan your habitat keep in mind that moving water – whether flowing or dripping – is the most attractive to wildlife. Also, think about location. Bird baths need to be located at least 15 feet from shrubs that might hide cats, yet close enough to taller trees to allow escape from hawks. Other animals may enjoy a more sheltered spot to drink, but most want to have a clear view of any approaching predators. Dew on grass and leaves can supply some water for rabbits and other rodents, while
berries and other fruit are high in moisture content, so try to create safe feeding areas where these are available.
Diagram of a small pond
Sand Pile for Butterflies Butterflies and other insects will be attracted to a shallow container of wet sand placed on the ground. However it is presented, water needs to be fresh, clean, plentiful, and dependable. There are many commercial models of bird baths available, but a trash can lid partially sunk in the ground can also work, as can hollowed-out stone or concrete forms. When the water is at groundlevel, having a dripping hose or a bucket with a small hole in it suspended above the bath will attract more visitors. The sides of a bird bath need to be rough and slope gently to a water depth of not more than three inches. This will prevent slipping or drowning.
Keep Water From Freezing For the winter, commercial bird bath heaters are available which draw very little electricity and will ensure a supply of open water all season. A landscaped bird bath or fountain can become the focal point of your property. If you are feeling more ambitious, a small waterfall will add the soothing sound of moving water. If your property has a pond or stream on it, you will probably already be attracting wildlife. If water doesn’t occur naturally, it is easier than ever to create a pond using the many kits and instruction books now available. A small pond only needs to be one or two feet deep and eight to ten feet across, lined with either plastic or concrete. Soil in the pond will allow you to add water plants, and moisture-
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loving species can be planted around the edges.
Suggested Plants With Food Value For Wildlife
Ledges create different water depths, while logs and partially submerged rocks offer safe perches for small mammals.
Summer wild plum blackberry serviceberry plum American elderberry
raspberry apple mulberry blueberry
Fall dogwood cotoneaster oats winterberry viburnum mountain ash
wild cherry corn wheat grape spicebush
Winter black/red chokeberry holly Virginia creeper crabapple highbush cranberry bittersweet mountain ash staghorn sumac
Nuts & Acorns black walnut red oak shagbark hickory pecan white oak butternut American hazel beech
Wetland smartweed bulrush pondweed wild rice
cattail wild millet spike rush
Nectar cardinal flower morning glory trumpet honeysuckle
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bee balm petunia
The pond should be located where it can receive four to five hours of sunlight a day, and a recirculating pump will keep the water fresh and moving. There are also devices to create waterfalls or sprays of mist. Placing the pond within reach of your garden hose will enable you to fill it during periods of limited rainfall.
What Species Do You Want. Think about the wildlife you want to attract. Including fish will cut down on the number of amphibians, since they eat the eggs of creatures like frogs and salamanders, but will increase the attractiveness for birds such as kingfishers and herons. If you have a large property, talk to your local Extension Service or state Department of Natural Resources for information about constructing a bigger pond or a marshy area. These will attract many wildlife species including larger birds, ducks, raccoons, and muskrats.
This article was written by Maryland Master Wildlife Habitat Naturalist Cathy Gilleland. For more information or for the name of a Master Wildlife Habitat Naturalist in your area, please contact: WindStar Wildlife Institute
Restoring wetlands is invaluable for the environment, and will offer you wonderful opportunities for watching wildlife. Moisture-loving plants include cattails, marsh marigold, duckweed, water lily, arrowhead, and rushes.
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E-mail: wildlife@windstar.org http://www.windstar.org
WindStar Wildlife Institute is a national, non-profit, conservation organization whose mission is to help individuals and families establish or improve the wildlife habitat on their properties.
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