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The Backyard Birdhouse Book
Building Nestboxes and Creating Natural Habitats
By Rene and Christyna M. Laubach

      To learn to identify birds and interpret bird language, you could go out in search of birds to study, but you might also consider methods to bring the birds to you. The Backyard Birdhouse Book is one such resource, which will help you to attract native birds right to your yard.

      The Backyard Birdhouse Book teåches you what type of birdhouses to build to attract specific types of birds--and just as importantly--the best places to install the birdhouses. In essence, some birds will prefer a house that is close to shrubbery, while others will prefer a house in the open.

      The book also addresses user conflicts. For example, if your goal is to attract bluebirds, but tree swallows move into your bluebird house, then you might install a second birdhouse nearby. The tree swallows are too territorial to allow other swallows to live close by, but they will tolerate the bluebirds.

      The authors provide tips to discourage predators from getting the eggs or nestlings, plus they include monitoring and record keeping suggestions, as well as ideas to organize and participate in conservation programs. With the aid of this book, you will be able to provide greatly needed habitat for cavity nesting birds while bringing nature to your doorsteop for easier observation and appreciation.

The Backyard Birdhouse Book    $25.00     Quantity:

Conservation Question: How many birds are killed by collisions with communications towers?
      Biologists with the U.S Fish & Wildlife Service conservatively estimate that 4 to 5 million birds are killed nationwide each year. There are about 74,000 communications towers in this country. Night-migrating birds crash into the towers and support wires on dark, foggy nights. Awareness of the problem has grown in recent years when flocks of up to 10,000 birds were found dead after a single night. Exactly why birds crash into the towers is unknown, but conservationalists speculate that they are attracted to the tower lights, which are used to warn aircraft.

      Lights in tall buildings pose a similar problem. Night migrating birds seem to be attracted to the lights and fly around until they either crash or drop from exhaustion. Volunteers in Toronto, Canada help patrol city streets on mornings during the migrating season to look for surviving birds that may be revived with rest. Volunteers also founded the Fatal Light Awareness Program (FLAP) to help educate people on the need for reduced lighting on tall buildings.

References:
"Birds and Towers Don't Mix." Popular Science. August 2000. Page 40.
"Fatal Attraction." Bird Conservation. Issue 17. Pages 10-11.
"Making a Flap." Bird Conservation. Issue 17. Pages 10-11.

Also be sure to see these related pages:
Bird Identification Books & Games
Identify Bird Feathers and Tracks
Interpreting Bird Language
The Music of Wild Birds
Hand-Feeding Birds