Enhancing Urban Habitats for Native Birds
Birds in Backyards
While our cities and suburbs may appear green, they can pose challenges for many native bird species:
1. Current Landscape:
- Our gardens and parks predominantly consist of lawns dotted with a few trees and shrubs.
- This habitat benefits larger native birds like Currawongs, Cockatoos, Magpies, Noisy Miners, and Rainbow Lorikeets.
- However, it isn’t ideal for smaller native birds such as Superb Fairy-wrens, Thornbills, smaller honeyeaters or birds of prey.
2. The Opportunity:
- Cities offer significant potential as refuges for native birds.
- Approximately half of Australia’s threatened bird species inhabit urban fringes.
- By strategically planting the right species and incorporating an understory of plants, shrubs, and trees, we can transform individual gardens into collective urban bird habitat.
3. Creating Bird-Friendly Spaces:
- Choose native plants that provide food, shelter, and nesting sites for birds.
- Create dense patches of shrubs for small birds. Dense plantings keep out cats and larger predatory birds.
- Install a bird bath, but remember to clean it regularly. Bird baths and feeders can be a source of disease for birds.
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