Attracting Birds to Your Backyard

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Program Description

Bird watching as a hobby can be a great deal of fun as amateur ornithologists seek to spot as many varieties as possible. This program will change "birdwatchers" to "bird collectors" as sightings are checked off bird spotting lists.

Topics

• Identifying birds likely to be found in the area, particularly in residential neighborhoods.
• Tips on how the homeowners can attract birds.
• Tips on the types of shelter and food area residents can provide to attract birds.

Speakers

• A member of the National Audubon Society; locate a speaker by accessing the Web site at www.audubon.org/states/mt
• Representative from the Montana Natural Heritage Program.
• The local newspaper's outdoors editor.
• Owner of a bird feed store.

Basics

• Length - 1 hour.
• Auditorium-style seating. Presenter will need audio-visual equipment; be sure to confirm exactly what is needed.
• Preparation time - 2 hours.

Learn More About It

• Adams, George Martin. Birdscaping Your Garden: A Practical Guide to Backyard Birds and the Plants that Attract Them. Emmaus, PA: Rodale, 2000.
• Roth, Sally. Attracting Birds to Your Backyard: 536 Ways to Turn Your Yard and Garden into a Haven for Your Favorite Birds. Emmaus, PA: Rodale, 2000.
• The Audubon Society. http://www.audubon.org/bird/at_home/bird_feeding/index.html

Make It Special

• Hand out recipes for suet balls and seed bells.
• Provide bird calls on tape or compact disc.
• Make bird-spotting charts for participants.

Market It

• Distribute flyers to nature centers, stores that sell bird food, and pet food stores.

Reprinted with permission from the Missouri State Library and Secretary of State Robin Carnahan.