Grow Your Own Birds

By Tiege Ulschmid - Idaho Department of Fish and Game Whether it is a rooster pheasant perched atop a weathered fence post or covey of quail chasing insects, many Idahoans have discovered the pleasure of observing upland game birds, even from their own windows. Through proper planning and a little work, you can attract upland game birds to your property throughout the year, providing benefits for the birds and enjoyment for yourself. However, attracting birds doesn't come with luck - it comes by providing what birds need - quality habitat. The key to establishing quality habitat is by providing several components - food, water, and shelter properly arranged in a specific area. With these essential components, you are providing valuable nesting cover, brood rearing cover, food and water sources, thermal cover, and predator protection. The typical home range for most upland game bird species is approximately a quarter mile. However, their home size varies according to the locality and arrangement of their basic habitat needs. The first component to avian habitat is food. Insects will provide a supplemental food source for adult species and will be the primary source of protein for chicks during their initial weeks of life. Insects tend to be attracted to forbs, which are broadleaf plants such as alfalfa and clovers. In addition, food plots can provide an excellent way for landowners to help upland game birds. A good food plot will have at least three species of plants, with sorghum, millet, and legumes providing great food sources for birds. It is very important that any food source be close to good cover shelter. A hen will not move her brood very far due to the increased energy required to do so and territorial issues. With careful monitoring of bird use and productivity of species, you can tailor a food plot that has high success year round. There are two essential components to shelter - grass structure and thermal cover. A quality mixture of bunch grass and forbs provide birds with both cover and a source of food. A quality mixture will contain a minimum of four grass species and at least two forb species. Bunch grasses have good integrity that enables them to stay upright under heavy snow. Bird populations tend to take a real hit in numbers when extreme snow conditions force birds into small areas of thermal cover. This increases the odds for predators to key in on them. Heavy thermal cover is another component of quality habitat. This includes shrubs and trees with low-lying branches that provide both overhead protection and a late winter food source. In the latter parts of the winter when seed and insect sources are depleted or are under heavy snow cover, the fruit from shrubs becomes a primary source of food for many bird species. A water source is an important yet often overlooked component of quality bird habitat. If water is not readily available, bird guzzlers are an easy, cheap solution. Installing one is as simple as acquiring a hard, plastic youth swimming pool and burying it into the ground. A gentle sloping ramp should be installed into the guzzler to help critters crawl out. In drier conditions, a covering will help prevent evaporation. The more adjacent all of these components are, the higher the odds are of having good bird numbers to observe throughout the year. It is important to be aware of what you already have and then provide any of the missing habitat components. Several organizations can assist you in designing a plan to help produce backyard birds. The local Idaho Department of Fish and Game office, Natural Resource Conservation Service, or local Conservation District can provide technical advice on attracting wildlife to your backyard and plant species adapted to your area. Tiege Ulschmid is a wildlife habitat technician working with landowners to improve wildlife habitat in the Clearwater Region.