How to Practice Bird-Friendly Woodland Management

Our properties provide us with recreation and natural beauty. They do a lot more for many other species – especially birds. Trees are homes and food for our aviary friends. Let’s manage our properties so that birds are welcome and encouraged to stay.

Local Maine Birds
From the black-and-white warbler to the ruby-throated hummingbird, you can find a huge variety of birds on your property. Check out this guide to start identifying them.

Bird Habitat Creation
•  Use birdbaths to attract birds. Change the water 2–3 times a week in the summer, and heat the bath in the winter.

•  Set up a birdfeeder.

•  Use native plants to make sure your property looks like the woods surrounding it. Keep an eye out for invasive plants, and remove them. Plant berry, seed and nut trees.

•  Eliminate insecticides. Killing insects kills birds’ major food source.

•  Leave some dead trees and brush piles; they are great spaces for birds.

Keep Birds Coming Back
•  Cut down as few trees as possible to keep the woods intact.

 •  Reduce or eliminate lawn space. Lawn grass does little for birds or other plants or wildlife. To minimize the danger of predators that comes with open space, gradually transition to a clearing.

•  Manage your property outside of birds’ major breeding times (throughout the spring and summer months).

•  Use nesting boxes with good ventilation and drainage.

If you carefully cultivate your property, birds will return again and again to your woods. Happy birding!