Native Plants | June 03, 2020

Why Native Plants? Missouri Native Plant Society

Why do I need a diversity of natives in my yard?
Exerpt from The Chickadee’s Guide to Gardening: In Your Garden, Choose Plants That Help the Environment By DOUGLAS W. TALLAMY, MARCH 11, 2015 a professor of entomology and wildlife ecology at the University of Delaware, is the author of “Bringing Nature Home” Please google Douglas Tallamy.
“But local insects have only just met Bradford pears, in an evolutionary sense, and have not had the time — millennia — required to adapt to their chemical defenses. And so Bradford pears stand virtually untouched in my neighbor’s yard.
In the past, we thought this was a good thing. After all, Asian ornamentals were planted to look pretty, and we certainly didn’t want insects eating them. We were happy with our perfect pears, burning bushes, Japanese barberries, porcelain berries, golden rain trees, crape myrtles, privets, bush honeysuckles and all the other foreign ornamentals.
Playing God in the Garden : By planting productive native species, we can create life.
But there are serious ecological consequences to such choices, and another exercise you can do at home makes them clear. This spring, if you live in North America, put up a chickadee nest box in your yard. If you are lucky, a pair of chickadees will move in and raise a family. While they are feeding their young, watch what the chickadees bring to the nest: mostly caterpillars. Both parents take turns feeding the chicks, enabling them to bring a caterpillar to the nest once every three minutes. And they do this from 6 a.m. until 8 p.m. for each of the 16 to 18 days it takes the chicks to fledge. That’s a total of 350 to 570 caterpillars every day, depending on how many chicks they have. So, an incredible 6,000 to 9,000 caterpillars are required to make one clutch of chickadees.”
Why do I need to plant local-source native plants?
All native flowers are good food source for native pollinators like bees, butterflies and in turn, birds; they have evolved with one another. Fall blooming natives are especially important in nourishing the migrating insects and preparing the adults and caterpillars for winter. Cultivars from Box Stores are not good for wildlife.
The best plan for a pollinator garden is to plant a diversity of native plants; perhaps 30 different native species grown from a local seed source. It is important to read this article and some of the additional links provided within it. Enter this link: https://www.ecobeneficial.com/2015/07/why-locally-sourced-locally-grown-native-plants-matter/
In this case “local” means within 50 miles N<->S, and 100 miles E<->W. Consult a NPS member if you are enticed to get plants from beyond this region.
Find local professional assistance in the Grow Native Resource guide at www.grownative.org.
Within the Grow Native site, you will also find links to a Native Plant Database which not only lists hundreds of useful plants for your garden but explains the invasive plants and the natives with which you can replace them. There are over 20 articles explaining the need to plant natives for pollinators and birds, and a Seedling Identification page for 40 species commonly used in gardens so you won’t pull them up thinking they are invasive weeds.
Ask a member who talked to you at the booth or learn more by joining the local Hawthorn Chapter Missouri Native Plant Society at www.columbianativeplants.org
In this diagram, your yard sod is the first on the left. All others are native plants. Yes, they penetrate hardpan clay.
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Instructions for planting perennials in hot, dry weather
 Soak the soil, slowly, where you will be planting.
 Dig the hole about twice as wide and deep as the size of the container.
 Amend the soil [clay] in the hole with some kind of decomposed biological stuff [= decomposed compost, manure, leaves] but nothing with a high nitrogen content. This necessitates breaking clay into small chunks and mixing with compost. DO NOT use a peatmoss potting mix to amend the planting site.
 Soak the potted plant before planting.
 After removing the plastic pot, set plant in hole so crown is ABOVE ground level.
 Press soil/compost around plant FIRMLY [not hard-packed]. Wild perennials’ roots do NOT grow through air spaces.
 Put a shallow layer of garden soil over the top of the mix the plant is in. If this step is missed, Sun/heat/wind will dry the block of medium the plant started in and it will die quickly.
 Gently pour a bucket of water into/over the hole and new plant until it is ‘full’.
 Use your foot to press the undisturbed soil from outside > in, around the plant.
 If your foot sinks into the mud, you need more dirt to fill the air pockets. Most upland native plants do not appreciate being below the natural soil level.
 Add water and repeat until bubbles stop coming up.

 Usually about 3-4 gallons is enough to mulch each new plant. Cover the planting site with about 2-3 inches [ = second knuckle to crotch of middle finger]. Pull mulch away from crown of new plant.
 Before successive watering of your new plant, stick a finger through the mulch to test for dampness. If clay comes out on the tip of your finger, the plant probably is OK. Soak plant if finger comes out clean. Water thoroughly if plant is droopy.
 After a hard freeze, mark the plant. Sometime during the winter add 1-2 inches of mulch. Native perennials will come up through loose mulch. Wood chips keep nitrogen and weed seeds busy so they germinate weakly and are easy to pull if they come up at all.
 Depending on the natural needs of your new native perennial and rainfall, you might not need any more care of your plant. Usually after 2 years, if your plant is thriving , besides mulching once each winter, it will need no more care.
 Contact the Hawthorn Chapter of Missouri Native Plant Society www.columbianativeplants.org for more information. You receive regular information if you join the group. See site for membership options.
 We reuse/recycle all nursery plastic if you bring it to one of our activities
Membership benefits
 Learn to identify and grow native plants through field trips and workshops.
 Field trips to see wildflowers and rich natural communities including glades, prairies, and forests.
 Presentations by invited speakers at meetings.
 Share information about the benefits of native plants.
 Monthly newsletters from the Hawthorn Chapter and bi-monthly newsletters from the state MONPS.
 Meet others who share these interests
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“The purpose of the Hawthorn Chapter of the Missouri Native Plant Society is to promote the enjoyment, preservation, conservation, restoration, and study of flora native to Missouri, public education of the value of the native flora and its habitat, and publication of related information.” –– MONPS, Hawthorn Chapter, bylaws, Art.1, Sec. 2.
MEMBERSHIP FORM
Missouri Native Plant Society
Hawthorn Chapter
www.columbianativeplants.org
Membership Levels:
___ Student $11
___ Regular $16
___ Contributing $26 (designate extra for chapter or state contribution)
Includes both Chapter and State dues.
Annual renewal on July 1.
Make check payable to:
Native Plant Society.
Name _____________________________________
Address ___________________________________
___________________________________
Phone: Day ________________________________
Evening ________________________________
Email: ____________________________________
All communications will come by email unless you say you want the Petal Pusher to be mailed on paper at a cost of $10. Circle one.
Email Regular Mail
Send check and this form to:
Paula Peters
2216 S. Grace Ellen Dr
Columbia, MO 65202
Missouri Native Plant Society
Hawthorn Chapter
Promoting the conservation and enjoyment of the native flora of Missouri

______________________________________________

To View PDF Version Click Here

Gardening for Birds | May 02, 2020

Bird Man Mel’s Favorite Plants

PERENNIALS

Coneflowers (purple & yellow – Native variety) – Finches, Hummingbirds & Butterflies

American Bittersweet (Native variety) – Bluebirds

Cardinal Flower (wet areas – Native variety) – Hummingbirds

Columbine (early bloomer – Native variety ) – Hummingbirds

New England Aster (Native variety) – Monarch Butterflies & Songbirds

Butterfly Milkweed (Native variety – Monarch Butterflies, other Butterflies & Pollinators

Blue False Indigo (Native variety) – Bumble Bees, Birds, Small Mammals

Ninebark – Pollinators, Birds & Butterflies

Buttonbush – Butterflies, Songbirds & Beneficial Insects

Eastern Redbuds – Birds, Bees & Butterflies

Joe-Pye Weed – Butterflies

Beebalm – Hummingbirds

Drop Me Scarlet Honeysuckle – Hummingbirds

Trumpet Vine – Hummingbirds

ANNUALS

Cigar Plant – Hummingbirds

Fuchsia Basket – Hummingbirds

Penta – Hummingbirds & Butterflies

Lantana – Hummingbirds

Cardinal Climber – Hummingbirds

Impatiens (shade) – Hummingbirds

Geranium (Red) – Draws in Hummers – Not a great nectar plant

Coreopsis – Songbirds, some Butterflies

Salvia (also perennials) – Hummingbirds & Songbirds

Petunia (only open-throated red ones) – Hummingbirds

Zinnias (particularly red ones) – Butterflies, Hummingbirds & Songbirds

Sunflowers – Songbirds

Attracting Birds, Orioles | April 11, 2020

Tips for Attracting Orioles

Click here for full brochure – Oriole TIPs

Because of their strikingly beautiful black and orange
or yellow plumage, their distinctive whistle, spring
songs, and their amazing suspended nest, Orioles are
quickly becoming one of America’s favorite birds. While
over eight species of Orioles can regularly be seen in the
United States, we’ll deal mainly in this flyer with three
species: Baltimore, Bullocks, and Orchard (range maps
on back page). All United States Orioles show variation
on the theme of black and orange or yellow plumage.

Except for in the Southeast, all Orioles are tropical
migrants. While migrations vary from year-to-year,
Orioles generally arrive in the South in early spring,
Midwest in early May, and further North soon afterward.
It is very important that you have Oriole feeders up and
ready, or often they will pass you by for better feeding
grounds. It is equally important to have nesting
materials out and ready to help encourage Orioles to
nest in your yard. Although studies are still being done
on how much we can tempt Orioles to nest in backyards,
by summer’s end, migrating Orioles are headed back
south to their tropical winter homes in Central and South
America. It does appear that Baltimore Oriole’s ranges
are expanding, while Bullocks and Orchard Orioles are
declining. All Orioles need and benefit from your help.

Attracting Birds, Nesting, Bird Watching | March 30, 2020

REQUIREMENTS FOR YOUR FAVORITE CAVITY-NESTING BIRDS

Species	Nesting Habitat	Box Height	Hole Size	Minimum Spacing
American Kestrel	Pastures, fields, meadows, or orchards with mowed or grazed vegetation; place boxes on lone trees in fields, on trees along edges of woodlots, and on farm buildings. Facing south or east	10-30 feet	3″ diameter	1/2 mile
Ash-throated Flycatcher	Chaparral, mesquite thickets, oak scrub, dry plains spotted with trees or cacti, deserts, and open deciduous and riparian woodlands	3-20 feet	1 3/4″ round	200 feet
Barn Owl	Prefers open areas like fields, deserts and marshes which are in close proximity to hollow trees, cliffs, riverbanks, or man-made structures, including barns, bridges and other accessible sites, and which support healthy rodent populations	8-25 feet	3 3/4″ x 4 1/2″ elliptical	100 feet
Black-capped Chickadee	Forests, woodlots, and yards with mature hardwood trees, forest edges, meadows; area should receive 40-60% sunlight, hole should face away from prevailing wind; 1″ wood shavings can be placed in box	5-15 feet	1 1/8″ round	650 feet
Brown-headed Nuthatch	Open stands of pine-hardwood forests, clearings scattered with dead trees, forest edges, burned areas, cypress swamps	5-10 feet	1″ round	1 box per 6 acres
Carolina Chickadee	Forests, woodlots, and yards with mature hardwood trees, forest edges, meadows; area should receive 40-60% sunlight, hole should face away from prevailing wind. Unlike other chickadees, Carolina Chickadee does not do much excavating, so wood chips are not necessary.	4-15 feet	1 1/8″ round	30 feet
Carolina Wren	Forests with thick underbrush, forest edges, woodland clearings, open forests, shrub lands, suburban gardens, parks, backyards; near trees or tall shrubs	3-6 feet	1 1/2″ round, or 2 1/2″ x 5″ slot	330 feet
Chestnut-backed Chickadee	Coniferous forests, mixed deciduous-coniferous forests, forest edges, woodlands, thickets, burned areas, often near streams; hole should face away from prevailing wind; 1″ wood shavings can be placed in box	5-15 feet	1 1/8″ round	160 feet
Common Goldeneye	Breeding habitat is limited to aquatic areas with dead trees, in boreal, deciduous, aspen and montane woods; favor calm, large, clear lakes without much vegetation or fish. Please several inches of wood shavings in the box in early spring.	6-30 feet	3 1/4″ high x 4 1/4″ wide	2/3 mile
Eastern Bluebird	Open field or lawn; orchards; open, rural country with scattered trees and low or sparse ground cover; entrance hole should face open field, preferring east, north, south, and then west-facing directions	3-6 feet	1 1/2″ diameter (round), or 2 1/4″ high x 1 3/8″ wide (oval)	300 feet
Eastern Screech-Owl	Forests, parks, woodland clearings, forest edges, wooded stream edges, under a tree limb. Add 2″-3″ of wood shavings	10-30 feet	3″ round	100 feet
European Starling	Habitat generalists, nesting in areas ranging from rural and agricultural to suburban and urban areas, but they avoid heavily wooded, mountainous, and arid regions	providing nest boxes is discouraged for this species in the U.S.	can squeeze through holes with 1 9/16″ diameter	5 feet
Great Crested Flycatcher	Deciduous or mixed deciduous-coniferous forests, forest edges, woodlots, orchards, parks, on post or tree at forest edge	3-20 feet	1 3/4″ round	1 box per 6 acres
Hooded Merganser	Quiet, shallow, clear water pools surrounded by or near the edge of deciduous woods: small forest pools, ponds, swamps; add 3″ of wood shavings; add ladder under inside of entrance hole for young to climb out	6-25 feet	3″ high by 4″ wide horizontal oval	100 feet
House Sparrow	Agricultural, suburban, and urban areas; tend to avoid woodlands, forests, grasslands, and deserts	providing nest boxes is discouraged for this species in the U.S.	can fit through holes with 1 1/4″ diameter	variable
House Wren	Variety of habitats, farmland, openings, open forests, forest edges, shrub lands, suburban gardens, parks, backyards; near trees or tall shrubs	5-10 feet	1″ round	100 feet
Mountain Bluebird	Open field or lawn; orchards; open, rural country with scattered trees and low or sparse ground cover; will also use deciduous and coniferous forest edges; entrance hole should face open field, preferring east, north, south, and then west-facing directions	4-6 feet	1 9/16″ diameter	300 feet
Mountain Chickadee	Coniferous forests, forest edges, woodland clearings; hole should face away from prevailing wind; 1″ wood shavings can be placed in box	5-15 feet	1 1/8″ round	1 box per 10 acres
Northern Flicker	Pastures, groves, woodlots, orchards, fields, meadows, woodland clearings, forest edges, urban parks, on pole or tree at forest edge or along fence rows bordering crop fields; south or east facing; box should be completely filled with wood chips or shavings	6-12 feet	2 1/2″ round	330 feet
Prothonotary Warbler	Lowland hardwood forests subject to flooding, stagnant water, swamps, ponds, marshes, streams, flooded river valleys, wet bottomlands; box should be over or near water	4-12 feet	1 1/4″ round	235 feet
Purple Martin	Broad open areas (meadows, fields, farmland, swamps, ponds, lakes, rivers) with unobstructed space for foraging on flying insects; there should be no trees or buildings within 40 feet of the martin pole in any direction; houses should be painted white	10-15 feet	2 1/8″ round or 3″ wide x 1 3/16″ high crescent	10 feet
Red-breasted Nuthatch	Mixed coniferous-deciduous forests, shrub lands, swamps, farmlands, suburban parks; hole should face away from prevailing wind; 1″ wood shavings can be placed in box	5-15 feet	1 1/4″ round	150 feet
Tree Swallow	Open fields near water, expansive open areas, marshes, meadows, wooded swamps; on a post in open areas near tree or fence, east facing	5-6 feet	1 3/8″ round	35 feet
Tufted Titmouse	Deciduous forest, thick timber stands, woodland clearings, forest edges, woodlots, riparian and mesquite habitats; hole should face away from prevailing wind	5-15 feet	1 1/4″ round	580 feet
Violet-green Swallow	Open or broken deciduous or mixed deciduous-coniferous forests, wooded canyons, edges of dense forest	9-15 feet	1 3/8″ round	30 feet
Western Bluebird	open field or lawn; orchards; open, rural country with scattered trees and low or sparse ground cover; will also use deciduous and coniferous forest edges; entrance hole should face open field, preferring east, north, south, and then west-facing directions	4-6 feet	1 1/2″ diameter	215 feet
Western Screech-Owl	Lower elevations, forests, parks, woodland clearings, forest edges, deserts, wooded stream edges, under a tree limb, south or east facing. Add 2″-3″ of wood shavings	10-30 feet	3″ round	1,000 feet
White-breasted Nuthatch	Deciduous woodlands, mature forests, woodlots, near open areas, forest edges, orchards, often near water; hole should face away from prevailing wind; 1″ wood shavings can be placed in box	5-20 feet	1 1/4″ round	1,040 feet
Wood Duck	Forested wetlands or near marshes, swamps, and beaver ponds; boxes can be installed on posts or poles in water, at least 3 feet above the high water mark, facing south or west. If installing on land, choose a site within 100 feet of water with no branches near the entrance hole and with a predator guard. Place 4 inches of wood shaving in box floor. Box should have fledgling ladder inside entrance hole to enable young to climb out.	6-30 feet	4″ wide, 3″ high	600 feet

Attracting Birds, Purple Martins | March 25, 2020

Tips for Attracting Purple Martins

Purple Martins (Progne subis) are the largest of the swallow family who have been known to even be seen on radar as large groups take flight. Martins east of the Rocky Mountains solely dependent on human-provided housing. Martins started using gourds originally provided by Native Americans as housing dating back to the colonial times. They have shown an affinity to nesting in natural gourds, man-made gourds, and aluminum houses.

Martins will return to the same breeding site year after year so if you have lost your Martins there is a good reason why. Make sure you control House Sparrows and European Starling populations in and around your colony. Like many birds, the Purple Martin does have a relatively short time you may enjoy their song each year so preparation is paramount in having a successful season.

View Purple Martin Tips Brochure

Informative |

Origami Flapping Bird

Summer activity around the feeding station is like watching an animated movie. Adults fly down with their young for lessons in getting food and water, flitting from one antic juvenile to the next in a rapid-fire exhibition of maneuvers. Now you can experience the frenzy with your own bird. Using the diagrams and instructions below, turn a simple piece of paper into a complex pattern of folds for flapping.

Origami Flapping Bird Instructions

Attracting Birds, Bluebirds, Bird Watching |

The Bluebirder’s Ten Commandments

THE BLUEBIRDER’S TEN COMMANDMENTS

I. Place houses at least 300 feet apart, because bluebirds are territorial.

II. Keep the bluebird houses in open habitat. It’s the environment they prefer.

III. Control the House Sparrow, or it will eliminate the bluebird and Tree Swallow.

IV. Add a second bluebird house 21 feet (7 paces) from the first house, at every 300-foot setting. This will allow the valuable Tree Swallow to also nest on your bluebird trail.

V. Control the most threatening parasite, the blowfly larva.

If you don’t, you may end up fledging very few, if any, baby birds. Change their nests when babies are from seven to 10-days old (only one change per brood needed.)

VI. Attach a predator guard to your bluebird houses. This will protect the bluebirds from predators and other enemies.

VII. Avoid handling the bluebird and/or Tree Swallow young after they are 14 days or older. They may fledge prematurely, which could cause their death.

VIII. Monitor your bluebird trail at least once every week.

IX. Remove the old bluebird and/or Tree Swallow nests on your first nest check after the young have fledged.

X. Keep accurate field records. This is the first step toward achieving greater success on your bluebird trail.

Bluebirds, Bird Watching |

Bluebird Troubleshooting Chart

Having trouble with your nestling bluebirds? This troubleshooting chart may be the tool you need.

Click Here to view the Bluebird Troubleshooting Chart

Cardinal | December 09, 2019

Cardinals Bring Holiday Cheer and Color

By: Mel Toellner

Photo Courtesy of Gail Hagans from the Songbird Station Photo Contest.

As this issue of the Songbird Station Newsletter arrives in mailboxes, our thoughts will be turning to the upcoming holiday season. For many of us the days ahead will include snow. What a beautiful contrast the crimson red Northern Cardinal gives against pure white, fresh snow. Can you think of anything more enjoyable to put you in the holiday spirit? No wonder it is often referred to as the Winter Holiday Bird.

Northern Cardinal Ornament from Cobane Studios

How many images of the Northern Cardinal do you use as holiday decorations? Is one of your favorite ornaments a Cardinal? What about the tablecloth, outside doormat, holiday wreath, gift wrapping paper? Notice in November and December every time you see the image of a Cardinal as you do your holiday shopping.

While the Cardinal may best be known for its flash of color in garden and woodland, have you ever found one of its feathers on the ground? Blue Jays and Robins shed their feathers like so much fall foliage, but Cardinals just might be the greatest protectors of the princely robes in the feathered kingdom.

As one of the most recognized songbirds in North America, Cardinals also could be known for their virtues; they are monogamous and remain together throughout the year. They aid in pest control, feeding on such insects as potato beetles, cotton boll weevils and the cucumber beetle. And they may be economically valuable because of their weed seed consumption, eating at least one hundred kinds in the wild.

At your feeder, Cardinals prefer black oil sunflower or safflower seeds. They roll the seed around with their tongue until it is sideways in their strong, cone-shaped bill. Then they crack it open and eject the hull before swallowing. Cardinals approach the feeder with an attitude, as if aware of their royal heritage. They do not suffer the chatter of neighboring Sparrows nor the infighting of house finches, but dine with their mate in majestic splendor.

During the winter, the male Cardinal tries to dominate at the feeder, but his mate usually ignores him and goes right on eating. In the spring, however, male Cardinals have the delightful habit of feeding hulled seeds to the female as part of their courtship. It often occurs at feeders and is endearing to watch. He hops over to her, tilts his head sideways and places the tidbit in her bill.

Year round you’ll have the most success attracting Cardinals by providing seed in a feeder with a larger flat perching area. A ground feeder or a hanging tray feeder filled with black oil sunflower and perhaps a little safflower and or peanuts is sure to be a Cardinal favorite. Keep your Cardinals healthy by using a feeder like the Songbird Essentials Small Ground Feeder that includes an easy to clean metal mesh bottom. If you own a tube feeder, you’ll want to attach a seed tray or a seed hoop to give Cardinals a flat spot to land and feed. Another sure way to attract Cardinals (and other desired songbirds) is to provide heated water in a birdbath or saucer. My new favorite is the SE995 Songbird Spa that can be mounted 3 ways. I use mine with the deck clamp in winter and ground legs in spring and summer.

Males are bright red crested and have a black throat and face. Females are a duller reddish brown. Adults of both sexes have a bright red bill, but the bills of juveniles are brown.

Want to add brilliant holiday color to your landscape? Follow our Cardinal tips and you’ll enjoy colorful Cardinal Holiday cheer out your windows! Enjoy! The below poem sums it up best.

The Cardinal in My Tree

By: Mrs. Dennis Getz (DeMotte, IN)

Pretty little red bird singing in my tree, I wish that I could tell you of the joy you bring to me. I know that God has sent you by my window to be near, to lift my broken spirits and to brighten them with cheer. Thank you, God, for red birds and all the gifts You give, to tell us of Your glory and remind us that You Live!

Attracting Birds, Informative | December 06, 2019

Winter Birding Essentials

By: Tristan Palmgren

Winter is a special season for birding everywhere. Birds are not only (usually – there are some exceptions, like male goldfinches, who lose their bright gold coloring) easier to spot against the snowy foliage, but their behavior changes in dramatic fashion. As naturally-appearing nuts and seeds dwindle, and the energy demands of survival increase, your birds will frequent your feeders and birdbaths more often. That means that winter is a great time to attract new birds to your backyard. They will be out and looking for new sources of food. As birds are creatures of habit, they will continue returning to your feeders even as the seasons change and other food becomes more plentiful.

Let’s consider some things you can do to make our part of the world more welcoming for birds. One of the biggest and best things you can do for your yard is provide fresh, liquid water – ideally with a De-Icer or in a heated bird bath. Maintaining a liquid-water bird bath is not as much of a challenge as you might think. This is a subject important enough to have its own segment in this newsletter. See the article “Winter Birdbaths” for more details.

bird bath deicer — Birdbath & Multi-Use De-Icer

Missouri’s winter and year-round birds will need many more calories to survive and thrive than they did over the summer. That means their preferred food sources will change. Energy is paramount. And the highest-energy, highest-calorie foods that we have are the suet cakes. Pine Tree Farms High Energy Suet is Songbird Station’s best-selling winter food. Suet appeals most to clinging birds like titmice, chickadees, woodpeckers, and bluebirds will all delight in suet cakes, especially if they’re catered to. In addition to High-Energy Suet, Pine Tree Farms makes a variety of specialty suet cakes. Some are formulated to be more attractive to specific birds – insect suet, for example, will draw in more bluebirds. Other cakes are made for different purposes, such as hot pepper suet, which will keep pesky squirrels, raccoons, and deer away from your feeders.

As you observe your birds this winter, you may notice that they appear larger and fluffier than before. This is not necessarily because they’re bulking up or storing extra fat. Birds keep themselves insulated from the cold by fluffing their feathers to add more layers of air between them. The multiple layers of feathers and air keep their body heat efficiently trapped. Feathers and fluff alone won’t keep them through the coldest Missouri winters, though. At night and during snowstorms, they’ll be looking for shelter to roost.

You can help them out by providing roosting space. Nest boxes left over from last nesting season are not ideal roosting spaces because their entrance portals are at their tops. While this is a feature during summer, in winter this allows heat to escape into the world. Dedicated roosting boxes are similar to nest boxes, but have their entrance portals at the bottom of the box to allow heat to stay trapped atop, and generally have a built-in ladder or other platform to allow birds access to the warmer top of the box.

Not all nest boxes can be reasonably converted to roosting houses. One recent addition to the Songbird Station catalog is designed to do double-duty. The Songbird Essentials Convertible Roosting House has a detachable front cover that can be flipped depending on the season: entrance portal on top for summer, bottom for winter, and a removable internal ladder. Alternatively, Songbird Essentials’ dried grass roosting pockets not only provide birds with shelter and space, but look fantastic on trees.

Click here for full brochure – Winter Birding TIPs