Nesting Season

The male Northern Cardinal often feeds the female during courtship

 Nesting season has started for the resident and migratory birds of Arivaca, and you’ve probably noticed the frenzy of different courtship behaviors that’s been going on.  In my garden, the morning “twitter-fest” from dozens of songbirds, the constant calling of Gray Hawks from the trees, and the greatly increased foraging for food are all signs that nesting is in full swing.  

Nesting is just about the most important thing that goes on in the life of birds as well as other wildlife, so it’s a good time to talk about how we humans can have a positive impact on the survival of this great “bird bounty” in our midst.  Here are some ideas: 

Hummingbird nest

First of all, before you do any pruning of trees or shrubs on your property, or cut anything down, take a real good look at every branch in case there is a bird already nesting there!  Birds like to hide their nests and camouflage them from predators, so you’ll have to look close.  Hummingbird nests are only the size of half of a walnut shell, and very well-disguised by the moss and lichen that they carefully mix with their saliva to use as "plaster" on the outside of the nest, and the plucked spider webs used to fasten them to a branch! Some birds build cup nests in the tree branches and cavity-nesting birds make or use holes in the trunk, so make sure you to look for both kinds!  If you do find a nest, don’t do any pruning on that tree or shrub until you know for sure that all the fledglings have left for good.

This tiny Junco nest was built inside a potted plant!

Second of all, don’t get too close to nesting birds, in fact, it’s best to stay as far away from them as you can to avoid disturbing them.  Some birds like Chickadees and hummingbirds are more used to being around people, so you might be able to sit and watch them from about 20 feet away, but it’s still best to do so quietly.  House Finches and Juncos are known to build their nests on porches, decks, or close to other known human spaces, perhaps as a protection from natural predators.  Other birds are super shy, in fact the recommendation for any nesting waterfowl is to stay 50 yards away! 

Calliope Hummingbird (female) feeding chicks

If you can see a bird sitting on a nest and it can see you, chances are it is disturbed by your presence.  In fact, females often can’t lay eggs if they feel disturbed.  Also, when adult birds are in the process of feeding very young offspring, they are landing in the nest every minute or so with food, so if you scare them away for even a relatively short period of time, their young could die.  Adults also stay in the nest to protect their nestlings from the cold or heat, so the young could die for that reason if adults are scared off.  However, if you ever find a very young baby bird that has fallen out of the nest and is on the ground, you might be able to help. If you can find the nest and safely reach it, pick up the nestling with a gloved hand and put it back in right away.  Parent birds will not reject their young if handled by a human for a short time.

Nesting birds are also very protective, so if a bird starts behaving aggressively towards you, it probably means you are near its nest!  It's also good to stay away from fledglings that have taken their first flight but are not yet strong fliers.  Even if you see them sitting alone on a branch, they are probably not orphaned, just not strong enough to keep flying right now.  Their parents know where they are and will return again and again to feed them until they are strong enough to fly some more.

Ella, a very contented indoor-only cat

Another thing you can do to help is to keep your pet cat indoors.  Cats have a strong instinct to hunt even when they’re not hungry, whether pets or feral.  And unfortunately, they kill millions of birds and other small wildlife species every year here in our state, and every other place in North America.  Research has shown that in the U.S. alone, the number of wild birds killed per year ranges from 1.5 to 3.5 billion.  Canada has the same problem.  Staggering but true.  And even if you never see your cat with a dead bird in its grip, that’s not proof that it isn’t part of the slaughter.  I am a lifelong cat lover, my two are considered full family members, and know from years of experience that they are happy living indoors, and will stay healthier and not in danger of attack from other predators there.  All I ask is that you consider it on behalf of the birds…

Songbird nestbox built by a cub scout troop

Last but not least, you can put up a nest box in your yard to attract cavity-nesting birds.  If you buy one, make sure has the right dimensions and hole size for a specific native bird, because the whimsical birdhouses available at many stores are usually just decoration.  

 Or build your own! For free, downloadable factsheets on easy-to-build nest boxes for SE Arizona birds, visit the Tucson Audubon Society webpage http://tucsonaudubon.org/our-work/conserving-birds/citizen-science/desert-nest-boxes/  When you hear the peeping inside the nest box get to a high volume, keep your eyes open and you might even get the chance to witness the first flight of a fledgling!  

Photo credits:
Northern Cardinals by Ken Thomas, public domain
Hummingbird nest by Emily Bishton
Junco nestlings by Teresa Erskine
Calliope Hummingbird with chicks by Wolfgang Wander, GNU Free Documentation license
Ella the cat by Emily Bishton
Songbird nestbox by Emily Bishton