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A review by lavanda4
100 Plants to Feed the Birds: Turn Your Home Garden into a Healthy Bird Habitat by Laura Erickson
5.0
Jam-packed with fascinating information about attracting desirable birds in North America and superb photographs, 100 Plants to Feed the Birds is absolutely stellar! Author Laura Erickson focuses on native plants (after all, they support 35 times more birds than non native plants do) but does mention a few invasive species. She reminds us that improving habitat for birds and plants (and therefore people) is important and that we needn't make drastic changes to make impactful ones. How refreshing to read such a book which includes Canada! Erickson discusses seasonal plants and birds (tamaracks and larches, for example, thrive in our frigid Saskatchewan climate and the desert willow survives in the warmest climes of the United States).
Plants provide seeds, fruits, nectar, sap, lichen, insects, roosts, nuts and nests, sometimes even after their demise. One hundred specific plants (not only trees and shrubs but also cacti and grasses) and the birds which they prefer and are associated with are listed here complete with icons and key, maps where they are found, species, exposure, height, colour and season. I learned that our destructive tent caterpillars which can destroy larches and poplars are loved by black-billed cuckoos which I have never seen. Though a master gardener, I did not realize Madrones survive fires (way out of my zone 2a) and had not heard of the cup plant. At the end of the book is a helpful list of favoured plants of North American birds, I really look forward to mindfully planning on attracting beneficial birds and learning more about their habitats at the same time.
Perfect for all levels of birders/gardeners, anyone with the slightest predilection for the subject ought to prioritize this wonderful book. It prompted me to research further specifics.
My sincere thank you to Storey Publishing and NetGalley for the privilege of reading this phenomenal book. To me it is epitome of perfection. I appreciate the author's passion and encouragement to enrich nature and our lives!
Plants provide seeds, fruits, nectar, sap, lichen, insects, roosts, nuts and nests, sometimes even after their demise. One hundred specific plants (not only trees and shrubs but also cacti and grasses) and the birds which they prefer and are associated with are listed here complete with icons and key, maps where they are found, species, exposure, height, colour and season. I learned that our destructive tent caterpillars which can destroy larches and poplars are loved by black-billed cuckoos which I have never seen. Though a master gardener, I did not realize Madrones survive fires (way out of my zone 2a) and had not heard of the cup plant. At the end of the book is a helpful list of favoured plants of North American birds, I really look forward to mindfully planning on attracting beneficial birds and learning more about their habitats at the same time.
Perfect for all levels of birders/gardeners, anyone with the slightest predilection for the subject ought to prioritize this wonderful book. It prompted me to research further specifics.
My sincere thank you to Storey Publishing and NetGalley for the privilege of reading this phenomenal book. To me it is epitome of perfection. I appreciate the author's passion and encouragement to enrich nature and our lives!