Bird of the Month: Grange Co-op is now featuring a different wild bird each month. Come in and look for the display in our wild bird departments. You'll find a photograph of the featured bird, and a display featuring feeders, feed, and when appropriate, houses that the featured bird will use to help you encourage them to come visit in your backyard. On the same display you will also find information sheet describing the bird and its nesting and feeding habits, the type of habitat in which it might be found, other birds that may be easily confused with it and other interesting facts specific to the species. Feel free to pick up one of these sheets in the store, or click on the links below to download and print a copy for yourself.

• May, Anna's Hummingbird click here
• April, Red-Winged Blackbird click here
• March, Western Bluebird click here
• Febrary, Mourning Dove click here
• January, House Finch click here
• December, Acorn Woodpecker click here
• November, Black-Capped Chickadee click here

click here to see our specials.

Other Bird Tips:

Planting for the Birds
How to Choose a Bird House
Birdwatching Gear Checklist
Hummingbird Facts

Planting for the Birds

Conifers Douglas Fir Western Hemlock Junipers Pines Spruce Yews Deciduous Trees Birch Dogwoods Madrone Russian Olive Mountain Ash Cherry Filbert Maples Crabapple Hawthorn Sassafras Oaks Hickory Walnut Shrubs Holly Pyracantha Viburnums Lilac Weigela Blackberry Mulberry	Snowberry Oregon Grape Wild Current Honeysuckle Cotoneaster Sumac Serviceberry Flowering Quince Barberry Raspberry Hackberry Elderberry Manzanita Gooseberry Buckbrush Ground Covers Kinnikinnik Wintergreen Partridgeberry Annuals Marigolds Calendula Cosmos Sunflowers Zinnias Petunias Salvia Phlox Impatiens Nicotiana Fushias	Perennials Aster Coreopsis Columbine Bee Balm Cardinal Flower Bleeding Heart Delphiniums Sages/Salvias Comfrey Pensemons Butterfly Bush Garden Phlox Globe Thistle Goldenrod Foxglove Ornamental Grasses Red Hot Poker Coral Bells Dianthus Lupine Cornflower Yucca Vines Trumpet Honeysuckle Virginia Creeper Scarlet Runner Bean Morning Glory Trumpet Vine
Variety is the key to encouraging birds of all kinds. Providing a mixture of large trees, (deciduous and conifer); clumps of berry-laden shrubs; fruit trees; many kinds of flowers and grasses; weeds allowed to seed; insects to forage; fresh water; and a well stocked feeder will please a great variety of birds. (P.S. Remember, easy on the chemical sprays.)

How to Choose a Bird House
By Laura Fleming

The first step in choosing a bird house is to assess what type of habitat you live in and therefore, what birds might be inclined to use your nest box. Please note: Not all birds will use a nest box. Only birds that naturally nest in cavities of trees will use a box. Many of the birds that come to your feeders, such as Goldfinches, Pine Siskins, House Finch, Sparrows, Towhees, Juncos, Mourning Doves, and Hummingbirds make their own nest out of twigs, grasses, feathers, etc and will not use a man-made nest box. So, you might ask what birds will use a bird house?

If you live near or in a wooded area, you might find the Chickadee, Titmouse, Nuthatch, Wren, Downy Woodpecker, Flicker, or Screech Owl interested in using a box.

If you live in open meadow/farm country, you should look for Western Bluebirds, Tree Swallows, Violet-green Swallows, Kestrels, and Barn Owls to inhabit your boxes. If your habitat includes a water source, (pond, creek, river), you may find Wood Ducks looking for a nesting cavity. Swallows also tend to nest near water sources that are rich in producing mosquitos for food.

For those who live in the city, the primary birds using a nest box are HouseWrens and Robins. (Though Robins don't use boxes, they will use a robin roost which is a man-made 3-sided platform).

After you have decided what type of habitat, (keep in mind your property may include several different habitats), you live in, you can choose a box that will be suitable for the corresponding types of birds. Please note: The entrance holes and sizes of nest boxes are specifically sized for different species of birds. Be sure to match up the correct box with the correct bird species. The type of nest boxes available include: wrens, chickadees/nuthatch/titmouse, bluebird/swallow, woodpecker/kestrel, flicker, barn owl, wood duck, and robin roosts.

A suitable nest box will include the following features:
• Untreated wood (pine, cedar, or fir)
(treated wood can be hazardous to birds if eaten)
• Thick walls (at least 3/4 inches)
(for insulation against heat and cold)
• Extended, sloped roof
(helps keep inclement weather out of houses)
• Rough or grooved interior walls
(helps baby birds to get out of the house when fledging)
• Drainage holes
(for water and moisture drainage)
• Ventilation holes
(for air flow in box)
• Easy access for monitoring and cleaning
(human user- friendly to keep birds healthy)
• Sturdy construction
(so families can be raised without houses falling apart)
• No outside perches
(helps reduce predation on baby birds)

Now that you have chosen your bird house you need to decide where to hang it up. As a general rule, most birds prefer their nest boxes to be roughly 5 - 10 ft. above ground level. (Nuthatches, Kestrels, Owls, and Wood Ducks tend to like them a little higher at 10 - 20+ ft. above the ground). Place the entrance hole away from prevailing winds and storms, (generally facing southeast as a rule). Remember to place the box so that you can watch any activity that occurs and where you can monitor and clean the nests out after each season with ease. Nest boxes should be up and ready by the end of April in the Rogue Valley area. I usually prep my boxes in February so I don't interrupt any potential home hunter. If you haven't seen any activity in your box within two years, try moving it to a different location. If you also feed the birds, be sure to place the houses away from your feeders so feeder activities won't interrupt breeding activities. Male birds, especially, are very territorial of their nesting spaces. Don't place nest boxes any closer than 10 ft. apart and for some species this distance may need to be longer. A great reference book on specific species requirements is the Stokes Complete Bird House Book available at your Grange Co-op in the "Wild Bird Country" section.

ENJOY!

Birdwatching Gear Checklist
*Note: Best times of day to see the most bird activity are early morning and early evening.

From Your Backyard
___ A good pair of Binoculars
Recommendation:
Swift Ultra-Lite 8 x 42
___ Bird Identification Guide to Western Birds
Recommendation:
Stokes Field Guide Western
or
National Geographic Society Field Guide to the Birds of North America
___ Lifelist Checklist
___ A comfortable lounge chair

Taking a Hike
___ A good pair of Binoculars, waterproof
Recommendation:
Swift Audubon 8.5 x 44
___ Bird Identification Guide to Western Birds
(see previous recommendations)
___ Lifelist Checklist
___ Comfortable walking/hiking shoes
___ Mosquito repellent, suntan lotion
___ Drinking water/ snacks or lunch
___ Jacket and/or Raincoat

Hummingbird Facts
An average hummingbird consumes half its weight in sugar each day. If an average man had a metabolism comparable to that of a hummingbird, he would have to eat 285 pounds of hamburger every day to maintain his weight.

Hummingbirds feed 5 to 8 times each hour, but for about 30 to 60 seconds at a time.

A hummingbird's heart beats 1,260 times per minute.

A resting hummingbird takes 250 breaths per minute.