With spring finally arriving after a long winter, it’s the perfect time for  a video on how to make your yard more attractive and safe for our feathered friends. Ornithologist and urban ecologist John Marzluff, who recently wrote of the abundance of bird life in urban and suburban areas in Welcome to Subirdia, gives us some helpful tips and tricks for creating an environment perfect for bird and nature lovers.

There are three general areas to consider when looking at your yard:

Habitat: Reduce the amount of turf lawn area in your yard, increase the amount of natural shrub cover, provide food and shelter for the birds, and add a water feature if possible.

Safety: Keep your cat indoors and make windows more visible to birds with ultraviolet film and stickers.

Human Engagement: Simply enjoy the animals, especially your interactions with the birds while feeding them and you may be surprised at what you discover about them.

Remember, we are truly neighbors with the animals that share our yards.

John M. Marzluff is James W. Ridgeway Professor of Wildlife Science at the University of Washington. His latest book is Welcome to Subirdia: Sharing Our Neighborhoods with Wrens, Robins, Woodpeckers, and Other Wildlife.

Further Reading: