|
|
NATURE WORLDWIDE: BIRDS WORLD INSTITUTE FOR CONSERVATION & ENVIRONMENT, WICE |
|
||
|
|
||||
|
||||
| ||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| North American Garden Birds | General | How to attract | Nest box | |
| Pix | American Goldfinch | With the bright yellow summer dress, the male Gold Finches are some of the most conspicuous and prettiest backyard birds in North America. | Thistle seeds in transparent plastic feeders | Bird house |
| American Robin | The ecological equivalent of the European Blackbird, the American robin is one of the most familiar North American garden birds. | |||
| Anna's Hummingbird | The Anna's Hummingbird is the only year-round hummingbird in the United States. | Hummingbird feeders | ||
| Baltimore Oriole | Yet another bright yellow male backyard bird is the Baltimore oriole. With it's black and ochre colors, it's a highly valued backyard bird at your bird feeder. | |||
| Black-Capped Chickadee | As one of the tamest backyard birds in North America, with patience you may even teach it to eat from your hand. | |||
| Black-Headed Grosbeak | The less colorful black-headed grosbeak is still a very desirable backyard bird. | |||
| Blue Jay | While Jays are known for some aggressive behavior, the Blue jays are relatively shy compared to other Jays, and with their blue and while feather decks they are among the most marveled backyard birds in North America. | Flat open bird feeders | ||
| Bullock's Oriole | The Bullock's oriole is the western equivalent of the Baltimore oriole. | |||
| Carolina Wren | The Carolina wren, has an extravagant melodious song. | |||
| Cedar Waxwing | Waxwings are some of the most sophisticated looking birds in Eurasia. It is always a thrill to see them feeding on berry-bearing trees. | |||
| Dark-Eyed Junco | The dark-eyed junco is a quiet but very common garden visitor throughout North America. | |||
| Downy Woodpecker | The downy woodpecker is one of the most common backyard birds in North America. | Any seed on open birdfeeders and grease&seed tablets. | ||
| Eastern Bluebird | This bright blue beaty won't come to any bird feeder but you can attract it with birdhouses along the edges of openings among the woods. | Birdhouses | ||
| Eastern Phoebe | A true insect feeder along Easter North America, you won't attract this garden bird with any measures, but it may find its way to your garden just on its own. | |||
| Eastern Towhee | Eastern Towhees are backyard birds that love to visit your birdfeeder. | |||
| Evening Grosbeak | Evening grosbeaks wintering birds who love to pay a visit to your birdfeeder. | |||
| Gray Catbird | Gray Catbird are great mimicking other birds as well as electronic sounds such as telephones. | |||
| Hairy Woodpecker | The Hairy Woodpecker is a bit larger than the Downy Woodpecker and equally familiar in garders and on birdfeeders. | |||
| House Finch | ||||
| House Wren | The House wren is one of the most common birds in North America, that builds its nests in many nooks and crannies along your house and in your garden, such as gutters, woodpiles, birdhouses, etc. | Birdhouses | ||
| Indigo Bunting | The royal blue bird is a crown jewel in your backyard. | |||
| Killdeer | Originally a wader, Killdeer have become increasingly common birds on urban lawns in North America. | |||
| Mallard | Mallard chicks are some of the most endearing creatures for little children, but you don't want Mallard Ducks in your backyard pond or birdbath. It plows up the entire pond, eating your water plants, eutrophiating your water with its droppings. | |||
| Mountain Bluebird | Mountain Bluebirds are the western equivalents of the Eastern Bluebirds. | |||
| Mourning Dove | The cooing of Mourning Doves give a wonderful feeling of peacefulness to your garden. They may be a bit greedy though on your birdfeeder, as the can stuff great amount of seeds, while chasing away many less assertive garden birds. | |||
| Northern Cardinal | The bright red males of the Northern Cardinal are some of the most popular birds of North America and very common on birdfeeders. | |||
| Northern Flicker | The Northern Flicker is a shy but faithful user of your birdfeeder. | |||
| Northern Mockingbird | No other bird knows how to mimic songs and mechanical sounds like the Northern Mockingbird. | |||
| Pileated Woodpecker | Pileated Woodpeckers are insectivores and among the largest woodpeckers in the world. Fascinating but shy in nature they will watch you from behind a tree and when they think you are not looking back they may dart onto your birdfeeder and hawkup sunflower seeds like any seedeater. They love seed in grease tablets. | |||
| Pine Siskin | Pine siskins love feeding our your from your thistle seed feeder. | |||
| Purple Finch | Purple Finches are common backyard birds frequenting birdfeeders. | |||
| Purple Martin | ||||
| Red-Bellied Woodpecker | Red-Bellied Woodpeckers are frequent backyard visitors. | |||
| Rose-Breasted Grosbeak | ||||
| Ruby-Throated Hummingbird | The only hummingbird in the East, the Ruby-Throated Hummingbird is a much beloved visitor of your garden where it feeds on hummingbird feeders and flowers alike. | |||
| Rufous Hummingbird | Viciously territorial, Rufous Hummingbirds dart after each other while competing for a zip from your hummingbird feeder. | |||
| Scarlet Tanager | A very colorful garden bird is the Scarlet Tanager, a crown jewel to your garden. | |||
| Screech-Owl | The screech-owl is a very common owl in wooded neighborhoods. | No feeding measures possible | owl house | |
| Song Sparrow | ||||
| Spotted Towhee | ||||
| Tree Swallow | Tree swallows rest on the telephone and power lines that feed into your house. | |||
| Tufted Titmouse | Tufted titmice are common visitors of your birdfeeder. | |||
| Western Scrub-Jay | Western Scrub-Jays are extremely tame garden birds in the West and some can be tought to eat out of your hand. | |||
| Western Tanager | It might only fly in the West, but the western tanager is still a favorite among bird-watchers all over the United States. Learn how to attract the western tanager to your backyard, and listen to its song. | |||
| White-Breasted Nuthatch | Like all Nuthatches, the White-breasted Nuthatch can crawl donw a tree with its head down. They are common visitors of birdfeeders. | |||
| White-Throated Sparrow | ||||
| Wood Duck | As their name says, Wood Ducks nest in hollow trees and are fond of nest boxes? | |||
| Wood Thrush | The wood thrush is a lovely insect eater in your backyard. | |||
| Yellow Warbler | The yellow warbler has one of the sweetest songs of all birds in North America. Learn how to attract yellow warblers to your backyard, and listen to their song. |
|
Dimensions of Birdhouses or Nest Boxes for North American Backyard Birds |
|||||
|
Bird Species |
Floor Size |
Height |
Entrance Height |
Hole Diameter |
Height Above Ground |
| American Robin * | 7 x 8 |
8 |
- |
- |
6 - 15 |
| Ash Throated Flycatcher | 6 x 6 |
8 - 12 |
6 - 10 |
1 1/2 |
5 - 15 |
| Barred Owl | 12 x 12 |
23 |
12 |
3 1/2 |
10 - 30 |
| Barn Owl | 10 x 18 |
15 - 18 |
4 |
6 |
12 - 18 |
| Barn Swallow* | 6 x 6 |
6 |
- |
- |
8 - 12 |
| Bewick's Wren | 4 x 4 |
6 - 8 |
4 - 6 |
1 - 1 1/4 |
6 - 10 |
| Black-capped, Carolina Mountain & Boreal Chickadees |
4 x 4 |
|
9 |
1 1/4
|
|
| Brown Creeper |
4 x 4 |
8 |
|
1 3/8 |
|
| Brown-headed, Pygmy & Red-breasted |
4x4 |
8-10 |
1 1/4 |
6-8 |
5-15 |
| Carolina Wren | 4 x 4 |
6 - 8 |
4 - 6 |
1 1/2 |
6 - 10 |
| Chestnut Backed & Siberian Chickadee, Brown-headed & Pygmy Nuthatch |
4 X 4 |
8 - 10 |
6 - 8 |
1 1/8 |
6 - 15 |
| Common & Northern Flicker |
7 X 7 |
16 - 18 |
14 - 16 |
2 1/2 |
6 - 20 |
| Crested Flycatcher |
6 X 6 |
8 - 10 |
6 - 8 |
2 |
8 - 20 |
| Downey Woodpecker | 4 x 4 |
8 - 10 |
6 - 8 |
1 1/4 |
5 - 15 |
| Eastern & Western Blue Bird | 5 x 5 |
8 - 12 |
6 - 10 |
1 1/2 |
4 - 6 |
| Golden-fronted |
6 X 6 |
12 - 15 |
9 - 12 |
2 |
12 - 20 |
| Great Creasted Flycatcher | 6 x 6 |
8 - 12 |
6 - 10 |
1 3/4 |
5 - 15 |
| House Finch |
6 X 6 |
6 |
4 |
2 |
8 - 12 |
| House wrens | 4x4 |
6-8 |
4-6 |
1-1/4 |
6-10 |
| Lewis's Woodpecker | 7x7 |
16-18 |
14-16 |
2-1/2 |
12-20 |
| Mtn Blue Bird |
5x5 |
6-12 |
1 9/16 |
4-10 |
|
| Northern Flicker | 7x7 |
16-18 |
14-16 |
2-1/2 |
6-20 |
| Nuthatch |
4 X 4 |
8 - 10 |
6 - 8 |
1 1/4 |
12 - 20 |
| Osprey* | 48 x 48 |
|
|
|
|
| Phoebes* | 6 x 6 |
6 |
- |
- |
8 - 12 |
| Pileated Woodpecker | 8 x 8 |
16 - 24 |
12 - 20 |
3 - 4 |
15 - 25 |
| Prothonotary Warbler | 5" x 5" |
6" |
4-5" |
1 1/8" |
4-8' |
| Purple Martin |
6 X 6 |
6 |
1 |
Special |
15 - 20 |
| Red-Headed Woodpecker |
6x6 |
12-15 |
9-12 |
2 |
10-20 |
| Red-Tailed Hawk and Great HornedOwl * | 24 x 24 |
|
|
|
|
| Saw-Whet Owl |
6 X 6 |
10 - 12 |
8 - 10 |
2 1/2 |
12 - 20 |
| Screech Owl and Kestrel |
8 X 8 |
12 - 15 |
9 - 12 |
3 |
10 - 30 |
| Sparrow Hawk |
8 X 8 |
12 - 15 |
9 - 12 |
3 |
10 - 30 |
| Starling |
6 X 6 |
16 - 18 |
14 - 16 |
2 |
10 - 25 |
| Swallow |
5 X 5 |
6 |
1 - 5 |
1 1/2 |
10 - 15 |
| Titmouse |
4 X 4 |
8 - 10 |
6 - 8 |
1 1/4 |
6 - 15 |
| Tree and Violet Green Swallow | 5 x 5 |
6 - 8 |
4 - 6 |
1 1/2 |
5 - 15 |
| Tufted & Plain Titmouse | 4 x 4 |
10 - 12 |
6 - 10 |
1 1/4 |
5 - 15 |
| Warbler | 5x5 |
6 |
4-5 |
1-1/8 |
4-8 |
| White-breasted & Red-breasted Nuthatch | 4x4 |
8-10 |
6-8 |
1-3/8 |
5-15 |
| Wood Duck |
10 X 18 |
10 - 24 |
12 - 16 |
4 |
10 - 20 |
| Wren |
4 X 4 |
6 - 8 |
4 - 6 |
1 1/4 |
6 - 10 |
| Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker | 5 x 5 |
12 - 15 |
9 - 12 |
1 1/2 |
10 - 20 |
Backyard birds and you
Millions of people like having birds in their gardens as part of the beauty, fun and entertainment in the immediate surroundings of their houses, and right they are! No matter if you have just started living in your own place, have your own nest full of little or taller chicks, are enjoying your home by yourself or are an empty nester, birds are a the crown jewels of your garden, a constant source of entertainment, giving you fun and exiting moments every day of your life. Did you know that in the US as more than 60 million people do something to attract birds to their gardens or houses? No doubt you are one of those people and thereby you are a birdwatcher! You may never have thought of yourself being one, but hey, you put up a birdhouse or birdfeeder to watch birds come to your garden and house. So......, you are a birdwatcher!
With our huge website giving lots of technical information, I thought I really should pay more attention to the millions of people who don't keep up a birdlist, who don't spend their weekends trotting through the woods. If you like looking out of your window and see birds on a birdfeeder, enjoy little birds busy around feeding their young, then this section of the website is for you. If you go to school, then I like you to feel that this part of the website is specially for you.
I just started this section and it will take a while until all the pages have been written with good information. I still need to get good pictures of birdhouses, birdfeeders, designs and ideas. There are many website selling birdhouses and feeders, and quite frankly I am appalled by the prices of the products on most sites. So over time, I hope to help you discover affordable ways of making your own birdhouses and bird feeders. At first you will find some links to sites, that I consider worth reading and consulting, but over time, most of the information will be from myself. But I can't do it alone. I need your help to help the millions of bird friends to help our feathered friends. Therefore, I would really appreciate if you could send me pictures and suggestions and comments on birdhouses and birdfeeders.. Not to do me a favour, but to share your pictures with others and help them with your ideas and pictures to get the joy of having those marvelous joyous feathered friends around their houses. Sometimes it takes a while, but so far I have always answered emails sent to this website email address at the bottom of this page. I hope you send me your ideas and pictures so it can show them on this website. As you can see, this is not a commercial website, and your pictures would be enjoyed by countless other bird friends, as we enjoy as many as 1 000 000 visitors per year and the numbers are growing at a rate of more than 30% per year!
For bird friends in the USA, there is a great web project to help follow or monitor how breeding birds are doing: http://watch.birds.cornell.edu/nest/home/index . Anybody is welcome to participate in the project and share with scientists how the birds in your birdhouse have been faring. In turn you receive information on breeding success from others.
This website is about birds, nature, conservation and the passion for nature. Let me tell you a bit about myself.
 |
For years, I kept this website rather anonymous. But then it occurred to me that maybe, you, the visitor, would actually enjoy knowing who and what is behind all this. I am Daan Vreugdenhil, have a PhD in conservation ecology, and dedicated my career of 4 decades to the conservation of nature, for which I visited some 80 countries and learned 6 foreign languages, my native language being Dutch. I have always felt that conservation is a passion, not a profession. As a child, my father would take me on the back of his bicycle into the meadows in Holland, where he taught me to identify birds and plants. I caught frogs, butterflies and lizards as pets (yes, most of those poor critters died shortly after). As a teenager, I joined a youth club for nature study, riding my bike every weekend with my fellow club members to nature reserves in the Netherlands where I grew up. Little wonder, when time came I studied ecology and natural resources management. I guess, I never got over my love for nature, wild places, forests, deserts and wild animals. I still love hitting the trail, kayaking down a river, the wind in my ears when skiing down a slope or riding my speed bike. Often people ask me if I don't get tired of traveling. But how can one ever get tired of the beauty of the bright colours of Indian Fall, the thrill of an eagle soaring the sky, the thunder of Iguaçu Falls, the fragrance of a spring flower, a Sky Lark announcing spring, a herd of elephants roaming the plains. My entire life has been dedicated to the conservation of nature. This website is my gift to you, so you can follow me in my passion and carry on the flame of conservation, the result of more than a decade of work for which I never got paid or never received any subsidy. If this website in any way was useful to you, then I invite you to make a donation to the Adopt A Ranger Foundation. The Adopt A Ranger Foundation is my latest contribution in my quest to save 10% of our planet as a home for animals and plants. |
On this website, you can find the bird checklists of all countries of the world: Just go to http://www.birdlist.org/site/regions.htm. In many of them you can find the bird names in its native language as well. But there is much more. There are pictures of nature, great tools for conservation, information on national parks and other nature reserves, an on-line book on ecology and nature conservation, free software for downloading, technical reports for those who want it. In order to find your way through the 2000 interlinked web pages on nature and conservation, please go to the site map. Thank you for visiting our web page on backyard birds of North America.
