Mast Tree Network » songbirds http://www.mast-producing-trees.org Restoring the bounty of North America's native woodlands Sun, 05 Feb 2012 15:07:42 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 Attracting Orioles To Your Yard With Mast-Producing Trees http://www.mast-producing-trees.org/2010/01/attracting-orioles-to-your-yard-with-mast-producing-trees/ http://www.mast-producing-trees.org/2010/01/attracting-orioles-to-your-yard-with-mast-producing-trees/#comments Thu, 07 Jan 2010 15:22:16 +0000 admin http://www.mast-producing-trees.org/?p=361 Orioles are one of our most popular songbird species due to their brilliant bright colors. There are 8 oriole species in North America, of which the most common are the Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula) and Orchard Oriole (Icterus spurius) in the East and the Bullock’s Oriole (Icterus bullockii) in the West.

Orioles are easy to attract to your garden with mast producing trees and shrubs.

Mature mast-producing trees such as such as oak, maple, and elm are the preferred nesting spots of orioles, who build their nests 20-40 feet above the ground.

Mast-producing trees are also the best source of three of orioles’ favorite food sources: fruit, insects, and nectar.

The most important source of food for orioles during nesting season is insects. Plant a mix of mast-producing trees that bloom in spring and early summer to attract insects to feed your orioles and their nestlings. These flowering trees and shrubs also provide a source of nectar for orioles.

Some mast-producing trees with insignificant flowers are also good choices due to their popularity with insect herbivores. For example, the oak family (Quercus) attracts more than 500 species of caterpillar alone.

For much of the rest of the summer, fruit is the most popular food for orioles. Favorite species include mulberries, serviceberries, blackberries and raspberries, wild cherries, and mountain ash.

To supplement your natural food sources, you can also purchase special oriole feeders, which often come with 3 separate feeding stations for mealworms, sugar water, and domestic fruits such as oranges, apples, figs, and pears.

]]> http://www.mast-producing-trees.org/2010/01/attracting-orioles-to-your-yard-with-mast-producing-trees/feed/ 0 Feeding Birds With Autumn-Fruiting Shrubs and Trees http://www.mast-producing-trees.org/2009/12/feeding-birds-with-autumn-fruiting-shrubs-and-trees/ http://www.mast-producing-trees.org/2009/12/feeding-birds-with-autumn-fruiting-shrubs-and-trees/#comments Sun, 27 Dec 2009 13:46:04 +0000 admin http://www.mast-producing-trees.org/?p=341 Autumn-fruiting shrubs and trees provide important sources of energy for birds during fall migrations, and the fruits of many autumn-fruiting trees and shrubs linger into winter or even early spring, providing one of the most important sources of food for the hardy birds that stay all winter. Though many bird watchers rely mainly on feeders to provide winter food, planting fruiting shrubs not only attracts a number of species that do not typically visit feeders, it also improves the birds’ protection from predators and harsh weather, and provides beauty and many other benefits for human residents.

Autumn-fruiting trees and shrubs that attract birds include:

  • American holly (Ilex opaca)
  • Winterberry (Ilex verticilatta)
  • Common Hackberry (Celtis occidentalis)
  • Viburnums and cranberries (Viburnum species)
  • Dogwoods (Cornus sp.)
  • Staghorn sumac (Rhus typhina)
  • Chokeberries (Aronia sp.)
  • Crabapples (Malus sp.)
  • Hawthorns (Crataegus sp.)
  • Eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana)
  • American mountain ash (Sorbus americana)

Hard mast-producing trees and shrubs also provide important sources of food in autumn and winter, especially for game birds such as wild turkey. These include:

By planting a mix of summer and autumn-fruiting trees and shrubs, you can ensure a steady supply of food for birds all year. In addition to their fruits, the flowers of most fruiting shrubs attract insects, the most important source of food for nestlings and fledglings of almost all bird species.

]]> http://www.mast-producing-trees.org/2009/12/feeding-birds-with-autumn-fruiting-shrubs-and-trees/feed/ 1 Feeding Birds With Summer-Fruiting Shrubs http://www.mast-producing-trees.org/2009/12/feeding-birds-with-summer-fruiting-shrubs/ http://www.mast-producing-trees.org/2009/12/feeding-birds-with-summer-fruiting-shrubs/#comments Sat, 26 Dec 2009 17:38:11 +0000 admin http://www.mast-producing-trees.org/?p=328 Many bird watchers take their bird feeders in during the summer months in order to save money, but you can continue to attract birds to your yard throughout the summer months with the help of mast-producing trees and shrubs. Many species of birds enjoy a delicious fruit snack, including both backyard favorites such as orioles, robins, thrushes, waxwings, grosbeaks, woodpeckers, cardinals, and towhees, and game birds such as turkeys, quail, and pheasant.

By planting a mix of summer-fruiting and autumn-fruiting shrubs near your house, you can continue to enjoy backyard bird watching all year long, even if you set out feeders only in winter.

Some great summer fruiting shrubs and trees that birds love include:

Most fruiting trees and shrubs do triple duty for birds. In addition to the fruits and berries they produce, they offer shelter from predators and bad weather, and the spring blossoms attract insects, the most important source of food for nearly all species of nestlings and fledgelings, even those that prefer seeds or fruits as adults.

Most summer fruiting trees and shrubs that are popular with birds are also considered delicious by humans and other wildlife species.

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