gardening for birds and butterflies: notes and lists

Attracting birds and butterflies

Many plants depend upon animals for pollination and/or for seed dispersal. Hummingbirds and many insects serve as pollinators, transferring pollen from one flower to another of the same species while foraging for nectar (hummers, butterflies, and moths) or nectar plus pollen (bees).  Birds help plants disperse their seed by carrying it around. They may inadvertently drop seeds while in transit; some seeds are adapted to germinate after passing through the avian GI tract.

Many bird and butterfly species are threatened due to loss of habitat- particularly for migratory species impacted by tropical deforestation. Agricultural pesticide use, also impacts both insects and birds. When you provide food or breeding habitat for birds and butterflies, you help to keep these species alive in a small but very material way.

How do plants attract birds and insects?

Floral fragrance is a mixture of volatile compounds released by flowers for the purpose of attracting pollinators. As birds and butterflies have poor senses of smell, fragrance is more noticeable in flowers that depend upon bees, moths, beetles, or flies.  Butterflies and hummingbirds are attracted more by other cues, like shape, color, and patterning. 

Butterflies

Use flowers for food source (nectar); inadvertently pollinate

Life cycle:  Lay eggs, which hatch into larvae, which feed on leaves. Eggs generally hatch into larvae in a few days. Caterpillar phase may last from days to months, with several transitions. Caterpillar then goes into pupa (chrysalis) phase and emerges as a butterfly. Different species may overwinter in a dormant or hibernating phase, or diapause, during any of these life stages.  Diapause in pupal phase can last as long as nine months.

Butterfly phase as brief as a few days (Spring Azure) to several months—perhaps ten months for Monarchs, even more for a few Arctic species.  Average is two months.

Plants may serve as larval food and/or as nectar for adult butterflies.

Other considerations- butterflies need moisture, basking spots, protection from wind.  Rocks in sunny spot, butterfly garden sheltered by trees or building.

Pesticides in the bird and butterfly garden-

If you want to provide assistance to butterfly breeding, you tolerate some caterpillar damage.  Usually it is limited in extent and duration due to brief life cycle of larvae and tendency of species to specialize.  With larger species, it may be recommended to have enough plants that larvae don’t eat themselves out of a food source (Monarchs and Asclepias.)  Bt, used to kill caterpillars on ornamental and food crops, will kill butterflies. 

If caterpillar damage is unbearable on some plants, you might want to assess what exactly is eating the plant, and use Bt only to control that pest. (time and location of application can limit effect on other spp)

Most insecticides will harm butterflies and birds. Birds can be harmed through direct contact, or by eating bugs that have been exposed to pesticide.

Safer Soap will harm larvae; residence time is very short so harm to lighting butterflies or birds is probably minimal.

Praying mantids not recommended; they eat beneficial insects including butterflies.

Exceptions:

Diatomaceous earth is completely safe for mammals and birds, and is actually being used to control mites in bird nests. However, it is harmful to butterfly larvae.  It can probably be used in a butterfly-safe way by only applying it to the ground, and only when caterpillars are not likely to be in the vicinity.  

Neem Oil does not harm birds or butterflies.

Keep in mind that birds also eat insects, including slugs; there have been cases in which agricultural pesticide use actually resulted in population booms in target insects by knocking out beneficial insects or birds. By attracting birds to your garden, you get natural pest control services.

Larvae:

Abutilon- Skippers

Acanthus

Achillea

Alcea- Skippers, West Coast Lady, Painted Lady

Anaphilis margaritacea (Pearly Everlasting)- American Painted Lady

Asclepias (Milkweed, Butterfly Weed)

Aster

Carex spp (Sedges)- Skippers

Ceanothus

Citrus

Cornus

Dicentra (Bleeding Heart)- Swallowtail

Digitalis (Foxglove)

Echinacea

Fragaria (Strawberry)

Hibiscus - West Coast Lady

Holodiscus (Ocean Spray)

Humulus (Hops)

Leucanthemum (Daisy)

Linaria (Toadflax)

Lupinus

Lonicera

Lantana

Lavatera- West coast Lady

Malva (Mallow)- West Coast Lady

Malus (flowering Crabapple)

Medicago spp (Alfalfa)- Alfalfa butterfly

Passiflora (Passion Flower)

Pinus

Populus (Cottonwood, Poplar)

Prunus (Cherry, Plum, Laurel)- Hairstreaks

Ribes

Rosa

Rudbeckia

Salix- Mourning Cloak

Sedum

Sisyrinchium (Grass Widows, Blue-Eyed Grass)- Mardon Skipper

Spiraea

Tagetes

Trifolium spp (Clover)- Alfalfa butterfly

Viburnum

Viola

Wisteria

Also: grasses and sedges. A large group of species, the Skippers, are identified by their preference for monocot larval food; this could include lilies but in our area grasses and sedges predominate. Sisyrinchium is host to one species.

Adult butterflies:

Abelia

Abutilon

Acer (Maple)

Achillea (Yarrow)- Painted Lady

Agapanthus (Lily of the Nile)

Agastache

Ageratum

Ajuga (Bugleweed)

Arbutus

Arctostaphylos

Armeria (Thrift)

Asclepias spp- Monarch, Hairstreaks, Swallowtails

Astilbe

Buddleia- Painted Lady, American Painted Lady, Swallowtails, Admirals, others

Calluna

Campanula

Carduus spp

Caryopteris

Ceanothus

Centaurea spp

Choisya (Mexican Orange)

Chrysanthemum

Cirsium spp- Alfalfa Butterfly

Citrus

Clethra (Summersweet)

Coreopsis

Cornus spp- Alfalfa

Corylus (Filbert, Hazelnut)

Cosmos spp

Delphinium

Dianthus (Pinks, Carnations, Sweet Williams)

Echinacea- Checkerspot

Echinops (Globe Thistle)

Erysimum (Wallflower)

Erodium

Escallonia

Eupatorium (Joe Pye Weed)- Swallowtails

Gaillardia (Blanketflower)

Hebe

Hemerocallis (Day Lily)

Heliotropium- American Painted Lady

Hyssopus

Kniphofia (Red Hot Poker)

Kolkwitzia

Lantana- Swallowtails

Lavandula

Liatris

Lobelia

Lonicera

Mahonia (Oregon Grape)

Monarda

Nepeta

Origanum (Oregano, Marjoram)

Penstemon

Philadelphus (Mock Orange)

Phlox

Potentilla

Prunella (Self-Heal)- Skippers

Rhododendron

Ribes

Rosmarinus

Rudbeckia (Black eyed Susan, Gloriosa Daisies)

Salix (Willow)-

Salvia

Sambucus

Scabiosa (Pincushion Flower)

Sedum spp

Spiraea- Painted Lady

Syringa

Tagetes (Marigold)

Thymus serpyllum (Thyme)

Trifolium spp

Vaccinium

Verbena

Viburnum

Vitex

Zinnia

Hummingbirds

Use flowers for food source (nectar); pollen rubs off on beak, head, or back of bird and  is transferred in process of feeding at one flower after another

In general, prototype hummer flower is red and tubular, but other forms and colors may be just as attractive.  Hummingbirds are selective about cost/benefit ratio for flower species they will revisit. 

Abelia

Abutilon

Acacia

Agastache

Albizia

Arbutus spp (Madrone, Strawberry Tree)

Arctostaphylos (Manzanita, Kinnikinnik)

Buddleia (Butterfly Bush)

Ceanothus

Citrus

Cotoneaster

Crocosmia

Delphinium

Digitalis

Eucalyptus

Fuchsia

Heuchera

Hibiscus

Kniphofia

Kolkwitzia (Beautybush)

Lantana

Lavandula (Lavender)

Lobelia (red-flowered spp)

Lonicera (Honeysuckle)

Lupinus

Monarda (Bee Balm)

Pelargonium (Zonal Geranium)

Penstemon (many spp)

Phlox

Phygelius

Rhododendron spp

Ribes sanguineum (Red flowering Currant)

Rosmarinus (Rosemary)

Rubus spectabilis (Salmonberry)

Salvia (Sage- many spp)

Sambucus (Elderberry)

Syringa (Lilac)

Weigela

Hummers also take small insects around nectar hosts.  Some people make rotting fruit available, to attract insects for hummers.  Butterflies are also attracted to overripe fruit.

Hummers are also attracted to feeders

Winter ranges of some hummingbird species may have been expanded by increase in feeders.  Some warbler species also attracted to hummingbird feeders.

Rufous makes long migration over many months, but can remember precise locations of feeders.  Rufous has longest migration proportionate to body size of any bird species in the world, from the Pacific Northwest (southern BC to Oregon) in summer to southern Mexico in winter. Migratory route is a loop, with southward leg running through the Sierras, northward leg along the coast.  Males arrive first (February or March) and females a couple of weeks later.

Rufous in particular has excellent memory for feeder location

Feeder considerations

Perches seem to help, bee guards seem to hinder

Red dye unnecessary and possibly harmful; any red on or near feeder will help attract hummers’ attention, and once an individual bird knows the feeder is there, color doesn’t matter at all.

Change of fluid essential, especially in warm weather.  Change daily or every couple of days to prevent growth of microbes.  Cloudy water means bacteria have developed.  Fermented fluid can cause liver damage in hummers.

Recipes given vary a little, but one part sugar to four parts water is most frequently recommended. Boil water first to disinfect, then stir in sugar, let cool before filling feeder.  Nutritionally enriched nectar is available, recommended for use in winter; at other times hummingbirds can get additional nutrition they need from plants and insects.

Other birds

Plants provide food (berries, thistles), nesting material, nesting sites, and cover from predators. In turn, birds serve to disperse plant seeds.  Landscaping can provide trees and shrubbery for cover and nesting, fountain, pond or other water source, or birdbath, for drinking and bathing.

Some spp depend extensively on human-provided housing eg Martins

Nesting boxes or shelves provide safe spot for nests; availability of appropriate nest sites is a major factor in population for many birds

Different spp have very specific requirements in terms of site, distance from ground, size of entrance etc

Plants can be chosen to provide food for a variety of foraging birds, and feeders can provide additional food, particularly during winter when plant food is scarce.  Winter range of some bird species has expanded due to widespread feeder use, and during very cold weather there is no doubt that the supplemental food provided by feeders increases survival rates in nonmigratory birds.

Feeders for songbirds

Considerations- safety from larger birds and from cats; some songbirds feed on butterflies (Grosbeaks and Monarchs)

Feeder should be in location with shelter from wind, with some shrubbery or tree nearby for shelter from predators.  Should be visible from your house, but not so close to area of frequent human activity that birds will avoid it.

Types of seed, types of feeders

Tubular feeders good for small birds and those comfortable with perching.  Platform-type feeders appeal to all birds, may be easier for some larger birds and those that typically feed on the ground, not perched. 

Some birds eat mostly seed, but will take insects and fruit when raising young.  Some birds have more preference for insects, but usually will also eat seeds or fruit. 

Suet feeders attract Chickadees, Woodpeckers, Nuthatches, Wrens, Thrushes, Warblers and others. To prevent Starling use, suet feeders can be hung in a way that requires birds to hang upside down— most of these species can do this, but Starlings cannot. 

Seed feeders reliably draw Juncos and an array of Finches.  Towhees and Varied Thrushes are drawn to platform and ground feeders.  Many species are highly attracted to black oil sunflower seeds, especially in winter.  A variety of feeder types will increase the diversity of bird species you see.   It sometimes takes a while for birds to notice a feeder; scattering seeds on ground, on a roof, etc will help to draw attention to the location of the feeder.  Feeder activity may decrease when natural foods in the neighborhood become plentiful, or when birds are busy nest-sitting and may shift to a more insect-based diet to feed their young.

Hygiene for feeders and seed- platform type feeders are particularly a problem, and regular cleaning to remove bird feces is important to prevent spread of disease.  In damp weather, all seed feeders should be protected from rain, and if seed becomes wet it should be discarded.  Suet feeders best not to be used in warm weather, as warm suet gets on feathers and can cause an array of plumage problems including baldness.

Project Feeder Watch is program sponsored by Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, Audubon, and a Canadian group, to involve citizens in collecting data on birds that visit feeders.  Participants pay $12 a year, receive instructions, bird identification materials, etc., and collect data on birds at feeders November through April.  Participants in the program have documented e.g. changes in bird distributions. 

Plants for birds

Abies spp (Firs)- Chickadees, Junco, Jays, Towhee, Finches, Grosbeaks, Nuthatches. Abutilon

Acer spp (Maples)- Grosbeaks, Purple Finch, Pine Siskin. Nesting for nuthatches. Chickadees, Orioles, Warblers, Wrens, Nuthatches, Brown Creepers probe for insects.

Arctostaphylos spp- Fox sparrow, Towhees

Aster spp- Goldfinches, Sparrows, Chickadees, Nuthatches, Towhees

Betula spp (Birches)- Junco, Pine Siskin, Chickadee, Finches, Towhees, Wood Ducks. Vireo, Warblers attracted to insects on foliage.

Carex spp- Sparrows; also nesting

Ceanothus spp- Towhee, White-crowned Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Western Bluebird

Cirsium spp, other thistles- Goldfinches, House Finches, other finches

Cornus spp (Dogwood)- Pigeon, Flicker, Thrushes, waxwings, Purple Finch, Sapsuckers, Vireos, Woodpeckers, Sparrows

Crataegus spp (Hawthorn)- Grosbeak, Hermit Thrush, Purple Finch, Robin, etc.

Fragaria- Brewer’s Blackbird, California Quail, Towhee, Grosbeak

Gaultheria shallon (Salal)- Wrentit, pheasant. Also nesting for many spp

Juniperus spp- Grosbeak, Waxwing, Finches, Robin, Jays, Flicker, Swainson’s Thrush. Also nesting and roosting sites for many spp

Lantana

Lonicera- Robin, Grosbeak, Towhee, Waxwing, Chickadees, Finches. Orioles as well as Hummers drink nectar.

Mahonia- Cedar Waxwing, Varied Thrush, Hermit Thrush, Robin

Malus spp (Crabapple, Apple)- Waxwing, Robin, Purple Finch, House Finch, Grosbeak

Myrica californica (California Wax Myrtle)- Flicker, Robin, Finches, Vireos, Chickadees, Thrushes, Towhee,  Warbleers, Waxwing, Oriole, Swallows.

Parthenocissus spp (Woodbine, Virginia Creeper, Boston Ivy)- Flickers, Woodpeckers, Robins, Thrushes, Chickadees. Also shelter and nest sites for smaller birds including Finches.

Physocarpus (Ninebark)- Nesting for many species

Picea spp (Spruce)- Grosbeak, Siskin, Crossbill, Chickadee, Nuthatch, Waxwing, Goldfinch. Needles also eaten by some birds. Nesting sites for many.

PInus spp- Chickadees, Grosbeaks, Nuthatches, Steller’s Jay, Junco, Pine Siskin, Woodpeckers, Brown Creepers. Needles also eaten by some birds, and trees provide favored roosting and nesting sites.

Populus spp- Goldfinches, Grosbeaks, Quail

Prunus spp- Grosbeaks, Waxwings, Steller’s Jay, Oriole, Robin, Woodpeckers, Sparrows, Flicker, Thrushes

Quercus spp- Quails, Jays. Woodpeckers. Chickadees

Ribes spp- Flicker, thrushes, Robin, Quails, etc

Rosa spp.- Waxwing, Thrushes, Robin, Grosbeaks, Goldfinch, Vireo, Chickadees

Rubus spp - (Blackberry, Raspberry, Thimbleberry, Salmonberry)- Waxwings, Thrushes, bluebirds, Orioles, Grosbeak, Flickers, Fox Sparrow, Song Sparrow

Rudbeckia spp.- House Finch, Purple Finch, Goldfinch, Chickadee, Sparrows, Nuthatches, Towhees

Sambucus spp.-  Robin, Woodpeckers, Quail, Grosbeak, Vireos, Waxwings, Finches, Nuthatches, Western Bluebird, Towhee, White-crowned Sparrow

Thuja plicata (Western Red Cedar)- Thrushes, Grosbeak, Nuthatch, also nesting

Tsuga (Hemlock)- Warblers, Chickadees, Pine Siskins, Grosbeaks, Swainson’s Thrushes, Robins. Also nesting sites for many species.

Vaccinium spp. (Huckleberries, Cranberries, Blueberries)- Many birds, including Chickadees, Robins, Orioles, Flickers, Towhees. Also cover and nesting sites for Song Sparrows.

Viburnum spp- Cedar Waxwings, Flickers,  Purple Finches, Grosbeaks, Towhees, Hermit Thrushes, Robins

Vitis spp (grapes)- Many birds , including Finches, Robins, Towhees.  Also nest sites, bark used for nest-building.

Flowers for Hummingbirds:

Hummingbirds tend to investigate bright pink or red flowers, but they will visit any nectar-bearing flower, including many that are not red and not obviously tubular.

Good hummingbird attractors include:
-Many members of the mint family, including Agastache, Monarda, Salvia. 
-Honeysuckle family members including Lonicera, Abelia, Weigela
-Fuchsia (hardy or tender); Phygelius ("Cape Fuchsia")
-Melianthus (Honey Bush)
-Lobelia (particularly the tall perennial species, including L. speciosa, L. cardinalis, L. tupa)

For more information:

Books

Western Birds, Roger Tory Peterson

Birder’s Handbook, Paul Ehrlich et al

The Butterflies of Cascadia, Robert Michael Pyle

The Guide to Butterflies of Oregon and Washington, William Neill

The Bird Garden, Stephen W Kress

Audubon Society of Port Townsend- Admiralty Audubon, POB 666 PT 98368, Ron Sikes 385-0307

Project Feeder Watch, Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, 159 Sapsucker Woods Rd, Ithaca, NY 14850 (607) 254-2427, feederwatch@cornell.edu

Xerces Society (invertebrates)- 10 SW Ash St, Portland, OR 97204