CREATING BIRD HABITAT ON SCHOOL GROUNDS By Donna Schmitz

Benton SWCD

456 SW Monroe Avenue, Suite 110

Corvallis, OR 97333

Phone: 541-753-7208

hkeirstead@bentonswcd.org

Birds are the most visible wildlife in urban areas, which makes them ideal subjects for scientific inquiry and other class projects. Birds require four critical elements: food, shelter, water and nesting materials. Provide these elements on your school grounds to ensure birds will visit.

SSSSHELTERHELTERHELTERHELTER: : : : The most important thing you can do to encourage bird use of the school yard is to protect and maintain undisturbed wild areas, such as wetlands, un-mowed grassy areas or vegetated areas that include snags or dead trees. If wild areas are not present, you can provide shelter by planting a variety of native trees, shrubs and ground cover in layers. Owls and hawks like to perch on tall trees to rest and look for prey. If your schoolyard does not have any tall trees, a tall pole with a cross piece can serve the same purpose. Tall shrubs with leafy branches give birds a place to roost and preen. Songbirds need a perch near the water or feeder. A dead branch attached to a fence post allows birds to assess their surroundings before travelling to water. Brush piles create a shelter against winds and predators. Visit BSWCD’s Native Plant Sale webpage for a sample wildlife garden design.

FFFFOODOODOODOOD: : : : Over 100 North American bird species supplement their natural diets with birdseed and suet obtained from feeders. These foods are available at local feed stores. Consider growing native plants that produce small fruits such as elderberries, service berry, Indian plum, and huckleberry. If possible, keep some areas unraked because leaf litter is a source of food for ground-foraging birds, such as thrushes.

WWWWATERATERATERATER: : : : Clean water in a shallow bird bath or a pond with a gently sloped edge will attract many species of birds. Common water depth ranges from ½ to 2 inches. Optimally, a bird bath will be cleaned every 2-4 days.

NNNNESTINGESTINGESTINGESTING MMMMATERIALSATERIALSATERIALSATERIALS: : : : Grass, small twigs and yarn (no longer than 3 inches) placed near feeders will be used by birds to build their nests. Robins, phoebes, thrushes and swallows use mud to construct their nests. You can help them find the material they need by filling an inverted garbage can lid with mud. You can also install bird boxes to encourage birds to raise their young on the property. Cavity-nesters like bluebirds, swallows and chickadees are likely to use bird houses in the Willamette Valley. Bird houses should not have perches below the entrance hole, and the entrance hole should be 1 ¼ to 1 ½ inches in diameter. If the bird house is being used by house sparrows or starlings, discontinue its use. These are invasive birds that have a detrimental impact on the native birds of the Willamette Valley.

If you are interested in attracting a specific species of bird, it’s important to research their life requirements. And always keep cats away from the property. According to a new study by Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, American cats kill over 1 billion birds/year (www.sciencenews.org).

FFFFOROROROR MOREMOREMOREMORE INFORMATIONINFORMATIONINFORMATIONINFORMATION::::

National Wildlife Federation Backyard National Wildlife Federation Backyard National Wildlife Federation Backyard National Wildlife Federation Backyard Wildlife Habitat ProgramWildlife Habitat ProgramWildlife Habitat ProgramWildlife Habitat Program www.nwf.org/Home/How-to-Help/Garden-for-Wildlife.aspx

Backyard Conservation: Bringing Backyard Conservation: Bringing Backyard Conservation: Bringing Backyard Conservation: Bringing Conservation from the Countryside to Conservation from the Countryside to Conservation from the Countryside to Conservation from the Countryside to Your Backyard Your Backyard Your Backyard Your Backyard www.nrcs.usda.gov. Enter search term “Backyard Conservation.”

Landscaping for Wildlife in the Pacific Landscaping for Wildlife in the Pacific Landscaping for Wildlife in the Pacific Landscaping for Wildlife in the Pacific Northwest.Northwest.Northwest.Northwest. Russell Link. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. 1999

Woodworking for WildlifeWoodworking for WildlifeWoodworking for WildlifeWoodworking for Wildlife: Plans for 28 different nest boxes with correct dimensions for different species. www.dnr.state.mn.us/publications/books/index.html

This 14x4 ft wing span banner was created by Tim Keyes, a wildlife biologist with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. Download this banner and hang it at your next bird related event, because people of all ages enjoy comparing their own 'wing span' to various bird species. birdday.org/pdf/14x4_WingSpanBannerFinal.pdf

∗ Birdzilla.com Birdzilla.com Birdzilla.com Birdzilla.com has all the resources you need for identification, attracting birds, hosting or attending festivals and audio

and video broadcasts.

∗ The Cornell Lab of Ornithology The Cornell Lab of Ornithology The Cornell Lab of Ornithology The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is a wonderful on-line birding guide.

www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/

∗ Environment for the Americas Environment for the Americas Environment for the Americas Environment for the Americas (EFTA): The signature program of EFTA is International Migratory Bird Day, held on the second Saturday of May each year. Learn more at

birdday.orgbirdday.orgbirdday.orgbirdday.org

∗ Oregon By Nature Exhibit at Benton Oregon By Nature Exhibit at Benton Oregon By Nature Exhibit at Benton Oregon By Nature Exhibit at Benton County MuseumCounty MuseumCounty MuseumCounty Museum includes Oregon state symbols, a 19th century single-tree Klamath canoe, mammals, birds, fossils, rocks, a hands-on area and a few other surprises. Admission is free! More info at

www.bentoncountymuseum.orgwww.bentoncountymuseum.orgwww.bentoncountymuseum.orgwww.bentoncountymuseum.org

∗ Whatbird.com Whatbird.com Whatbird.com Whatbird.com is a step-by-step search engine for the identification of North

American birds. Fun!

∗ Wild Goose Tales Newsletter Wild Goose Tales Newsletter Wild Goose Tales Newsletter Wild Goose Tales Newsletter for Oregon’s Willamette Valley National Wildlife Refuge Complex. friendswvnwrc.org/friendswvnwrc.org/friendswvnwrc.org/friendswvnwrc.org/

newsletter_and_other_resources newsletter_and_other_resources newsletter_and_other_resources newsletter_and_other_resources

M O R E G R E A T R E S O U R C E S

W I N G S P A N B A N N E R

Want to spend some

time learning from an

expert birder? Don

Boucher of

Neighborhood

Naturalist offers

free birding

classes from the back

of his bicycle.

Bicycle Birding Bicycle Birding Bicycle Birding Bicycle Birding is

offered on the 4th

Sunday of each month

between May and

September. In the

Spring, they teach two

additional classes:

Birding in the Birding in the Birding in the Birding in the

Willamette ValleyWillamette ValleyWillamette ValleyWillamette Valley and

Birding by EarBirding by EarBirding by EarBirding by Ear.

If you can’t attend the

classes, you can still

learn from Don and his

counterpart, Lisa

Millbank,

by attending

free Naturalist Naturalist Naturalist Naturalist

AdventuresAdventuresAdventuresAdventures, held on the

3rd Sunday of each

month. Neighborhood

Naturalist offers an

information-rich

quarterly newsletter.

Visit the website to

subscribe and you’ll

also find a library of

local

bird

sounds,

and an excellent

YouTube channel

with nicely edited

footage of birds and

other animal species

including foxes,

butterflies, beavers

and squirrels. Check

out the nighttime

showdown between a

nutria and a bobcat!

www.neighborhoodwww.neighborhoodwww.neighborhoodwww.neighborhood----

naturalist.comnaturalist.comnaturalist.comnaturalist.com.

2 3 4

1

birds in & out of the classroom

Benton County has three key

ingredients that make it an ideal

location to teach about birds:

1) Varied and Accessible Bird

Habitats including rare oak

savannas and wet prairies;

2) Non-formal Partners– to work

with you and your students in

and out of the classroom;

3) Access to curriculum and

materials.

This newsletter will point you to the

resources available to help you bring

bird education to your students.

In a recent survey of Benton County

teachers, birds were clearly indicated

as a popular classroom topic. 38% of

respondents include bird education

already. Of those who don’t, 60%

would like to include bird education.

It’s easy to see why– with their great

diversity and omnipresence, birds

are a fun and fascinating way to

introduce important concepts from

classification to natural selection,

and to use the local environment for

scientific inquiry.

N E I G H B O R H O O D N A T U R A L I S T :

A W E A L T H O F I N F O R M A T I O N

B I R D S : A P O P U L A R T O P I C W I T H T E A C H E R S A N D S T U D E N T S !

W i l l ame t t e V a l l e y B i r d i n g T r a i lW i l l ame t t e V a l l e y B i r d i n g T r a i lW i l l ame t t e V a l l e y B i r d i n g T r a i lW i l l ame t t e V a l l e y B i r d i n g T r a i l

A v e r y H o u s e N a t u r e C e n t e rA v e r y H o u s e N a t u r e C e n t e rA v e r y H o u s e N a t u r e C e n t e rA v e r y H o u s e N a t u r e C e n t e r

F l y i n g W I L D C u r r i c u l u mF l y i n g W I L D C u r r i c u l u mF l y i n g W I L D C u r r i c u l u mF l y i n g W I L D C u r r i c u l u m

B i r d W o r k s h o p & K i t sB i r d W o r k s h o p & K i t sB i r d W o r k s h o p & K i t sB i r d W o r k s h o p & K i t s

T a b l e o f C o n t e n t sT a b l e o f C o n t e n t sT a b l e o f C o n t e n t sT a b l e o f C o n t e n t s

B i r d s : A P o p u l a r T o p i cB i r d s : A P o p u l a r T o p i cB i r d s : A P o p u l a r T o p i cB i r d s : A P o p u l a r T o p i c

N e i g h b o r h o o d N a t u r a l i s tN e i g h b o r h o o d N a t u r a l i s tN e i g h b o r h o o d N a t u r a l i s tN e i g h b o r h o o d N a t u r a l i s t

C h i n t i m i n i W i l d l i f e C e n t e rC h i n t i m i n i W i l d l i f e C e n t e rC h i n t i m i n i W i l d l i f e C e n t e rC h i n t i m i n i W i l d l i f e C e n t e r

A u d u b o n S o c i e t y o f C o r v a l l i sA u d u b o n S o c i e t y o f C o r v a l l i sA u d u b o n S o c i e t y o f C o r v a l l i sA u d u b o n S o c i e t y o f C o r v a l l i s

B i r d S l e u t hB i r d S l e u t hB i r d S l e u t hB i r d S l e u t h

N a t i o n a l A u d u b o n S o c i e t yN a t i o n a l A u d u b o n S o c i e t yN a t i o n a l A u d u b o n S o c i e t yN a t i o n a l A u d u b o n S o c i e t y

P r o j e c t W e b f o o t C u r r i c u l u mP r o j e c t W e b f o o t C u r r i c u l u mP r o j e c t W e b f o o t C u r r i c u l u mP r o j e c t W e b f o o t C u r r i c u l u m

C r e a t i n g B i r d H a b i t a tC r e a t i n g B i r d H a b i t a tC r e a t i n g B i r d H a b i t a tC r e a t i n g B i r d H a b i t a t

W i n g s p a n B a n n e rW i n g s p a n B a n n e rW i n g s p a n B a n n e rW i n g s p a n B a n n e r

O t h e r B i r d R e s o u r c e sO t h e r B i r d R e s o u r c e sO t h e r B i r d R e s o u r c e sO t h e r B i r d R e s o u r c e s

Issue 10

February 2013

Community Building for Water Quality

WIL LAME T T E VA L L EY B I RD ING TRAIL

By Crystal Durbecq

Did you know that the Willamette Valley has a newly completed birding trail? The Willamette Valley Birding Trail is one of the nine trails planned for the state of Oregon, and is composed of 12 smaller loops that take you to over 138 birding hotspots between Cottage Grove to the south and Clatskanie in the Oregon panhandle. These trail loops near the Corvallis/Albany area are spangled with great sightseeing

destinations:

Luckiamute LoopLuckiamute LoopLuckiamute LoopLuckiamute Loop – includes Peavy Arboretum, Fort

Hoskins and Jackson-Frazier Wetlands;

Alsea LoopAlsea LoopAlsea LoopAlsea Loop – includes Alsea Falls, Finley National Wildlife

Refuge and Tyee Winery;

Willamette LoopWillamette LoopWillamette LoopWillamette Loop – includes Silver Falls State Park and

Oregon Gardens;

Santiam LoopSantiam LoopSantiam LoopSantiam Loop – includes Albany Willamette Riverfront and

Foster Dam Reservoir.

Tour the oak savannas, riparian forests and wetland prairies that characterize the Willamette Valley and enjoy the great abundance of birds that can be witnessed throughout these unique habitats. Visit www.oregonbirdingtrails.orgwww.oregonbirdingtrails.orgwww.oregonbirdingtrails.orgwww.oregonbirdingtrails.org for a complete guide and list of Oregon birding trails. For a print version contact Molly Monroe at Willamette Valley National

Wildlife Refuge Complex (541) 757-7236.

OSU Extension 4-H is working with its partners to offer you a Flying WILD workshop on April 6, at Finley Wildlife Refuge. Learn about local birds and their ecosystems from experts while learning to engage students using basic identification, migration, and adaptation activities from the Flying Wild Curriculum guide. The cost to you is $20.00. Register by calling the Extension Office at 541-766

-6750.

To support your birding activities,

Extension has available for check out:

• A Basic Bird kit, with lessons and a

few visuals

• A binocular kit with 10 pairs (requires

kit deposit)

• A Birds & Beaks kit with all the materials to do a bird beak

adaptation activity

Visit the Extension Office at their new location: The Sunset Building, 4077 SW

Research Way, Corvallis.

Avery House Nature Center (AHNC), a program of Corvallis Environmental Center, has provided nature education programs for 18 years. They offer bird-themed summer camps, class field trips, home school classes and a bird kit. Programs can also be created or tailored to meet your

educational goals and classroom focus.

Bird KitBird KitBird KitBird Kit: Includes all the materials needed for a variety of fun and engaging bird activities. Kit use is limited, please contact

AHNC.

Bird Field Trip: Bird Field Trip: Bird Field Trip: Bird Field Trip: Meet grade level Oregon Science and Core Knowledge Standards, and bring Foss kit learning to life! For third graders, AHNC offers a 2-hour field trip focused on birds, migration and binocular use. The trip can be held at Finley

Wildlife Refuge or another wetland bird habitat of your choice.

Home School ClassHome School ClassHome School ClassHome School Class: : : : On Wednesday afternoons homeschoolers are exposed to many different topics including birds and bird habitats. Full day group programs are available

on Fridays for a low cost.

Nature Summer Camps Nature Summer Camps Nature Summer Camps Nature Summer Camps are week-long day programs with a thematic focus. Bird Bonanza will run from July 8th-12th. Soar

into the world of local birds and their adaptations for flight.

Bicycle Birding Bicycle Birding Bicycle Birding Bicycle Birding for ages 9-12: Youth spend afternoons on their

bikes bird watching all around Corvallis.

Check AHNC’s website for more information on any of these programs. www.corvallisenvironmentalcenter.org/averywww.corvallisenvironmentalcenter.org/averywww.corvallisenvironmentalcenter.org/averywww.corvallisenvironmentalcenter.org/avery----househousehousehouse----naturenaturenaturenature----

center/center/center/center/

AVERY HOUSE NA TURE C EN T ER

Flying WILD: An Educator’s Guide to Celebrating Birds focuses on migratory birds and is designed to inspire youth to discover more about the natural world. The guide is full of great lessons to get you started sharing the avian world with your students. The Flying WILD School Bird Festival allows young people to learn and teach about birds and their conservation needs. Students lead hands-on activities, create educational exhibits, host art displays, and stage performances-learning activities designed to run smoothly in a festival setting. The festival provides an occasion for students reflection, celebration and a showcase for their school and community service projects about migratory bird conservation.

www.flyingwild.orgwww.flyingwild.orgwww.flyingwild.orgwww.flyingwild.org

FLY ING W I LD CURR I CULUM

& S C H O O L B I R D F E S T I V A L

OSU EXTENS ION 4 -H OFFERS B IRD WORKSHOP & KITS

The Chintimini Wildlife Center is a wildlife rehabilitation and

environmental education center located in Corvallis, Oregon.

Chintimini offers a variety of educational programs designed

to educate the public about the wonders of wildlife. “Raptors:

Hunters of the Sky”, their live birds of prey program, is a one-

hour program that can be offered year-round, on or off-site, for

any age group. This program includes visits with non-

releasable education birds and supplemental hands-on

activities.

Chintimini is also offering two “Raptor Rhapsody Summer

Camps” this year when they will devote an entire week to the

study of birds of prey. Camp sessions are from July 15th to

19th, for ages 8 to 12, and August 26th to 30th, for ages 9 and

over. For more information and to schedule programs, visit

Chintimini’s website at www.chintiminiwildlife.orgwww.chintiminiwildlife.orgwww.chintiminiwildlife.orgwww.chintiminiwildlife.org.

BirdSleuth: provides curriculum kits and other educational resources that will bring citizen science, inquiry, and outdoor experiences to youth. www.birds.cornell.edu/www.birds.cornell.edu/www.birds.cornell.edu/www.birds.cornell.edu/birdsleuth/ birdsleuth/ birdsleuth/ birdsleuth/

National Audubon

Society website: a wealth of bird information. Highlights: Highlights: Highlights: Highlights: Bird FAQs, Bird Profiles (with watchlist status and global population numbers), and more! birds.audubon.orgbirds.audubon.orgbirds.audubon.orgbirds.audubon.org

Project Webfoot: Wetland and waterfowl curriculum kit. HHHHiiiigggghhhhlllliiiigggghhhhttttssss:::: waterfowl ID pocket guide and CD, activity book & curriculum guide! Borrow the kit from BSWCD, or download materials at wwwwwwwwwwww....dddduuuucccckkkkssss....ccccaaaa////eeeedddduuuuccccaaaattttiiiioooonnnn////forforforfor----eeeedddduuuuccccaaaattttoooorrrrssss////rrrreeeessssoooouuuurrrrcccceeeessss////

“It is our hope that looking into the eyes of one of our non-releasable educational birds of prey...will instill in our visitors a sense of wonder of the natural world...that will influence the decisions they make with regard to their interactions with the environment.”

—Chintimini Wildlife Center

A U D U BO N S O C I E T Y O F C O R V A L L I S

Audubon’s Corvallis Chapter offers educational programs that run for 2 hours, are $55 each and can be geared towards any age group. Schedule by emailing Michelle at hesthavneducation@gmail.com or calling (614) 579-1406. Two of the programs are focused on birds: Night Hunters Night Hunters Night Hunters Night Hunters is an evening program about owls. Discover the common species found in Corvallis, dissect owl pellets, and go on a night hike to spot these amazing hunters. Program starts at dusk. BirdBirdBirdBird----inininin----aaaa----box box box box Explore the adaptations of birds through seven discovery boxes full of hands-on activities and real bird mounts, skulls, bones, feathers, and songs. Meet some common birds found in our area. Venture out with binoculars to search for these local residents. Summer Camps: Summer Camps: Summer Camps: Summer Camps: From August 12th-16th, 3rd-6th graders can attend the Feathered Friends camp and practice bird ID using visual and audio clues. For more information, visit www.audubon.corvallis.or.us.www.audubon.corvallis.or.us.www.audubon.corvallis.or.us.www.audubon.corvallis.or.us.

C H I N T I M I N I W I L D L I F E C E N T E R

By Jeff Picton