The holidays are over, the Christmas lights are put away (or at least you’ve rationalized by now how it’s really quite cheery to have them up year round), and football postseason is now super close to the final play. These entertaining distractions may be concluding but the real show is about to begin—spring bird breeding season in Texas! Now is the perfect time to get your nest boxes and property ready to host our feathered friends.
Clear now.
If there are trees and branches on your property that you’re just aching to take a chainsaw to, do it now. Felling trees or even just removing branches can put bird nests at risk. Winter is also an optimal time to trim trees to avoid the spread of oak wilt. (For more on oak wilt risk in the spring, check out our “Wildlife Rules of Thumb.”)
Prepare nest boxes.
Now is the time to make sure your nest boxes are well-maintained and ready for arrivals as some nesting birds may begin scouting for nest sites in Texas as early as January or February. Indeed, Texas is one of the earliest breeding grounds for Purple Martins. Trails.com reports that the Austin area reportedly can see the first birds arrive as early as mid-January, while most of the south and east parts of the state start to see arrivals around the first of February. If you put up a Purple Martin house after early January, you may have already been too late. Similarly, Eastern Bluebirds begin nesting as early as mid-February.
Not unlike humans, certain birds like their homes a certain way. Do your nest boxes fit their preferred criteria? For example, robins prefer open fronted nest boxes whereas wrens prefer small boxes with a small entry hole. Check out these additional tips from British Bird Lovers’ “Why Birds Won’t Visit Your Nest Box”:
- Ensure your bird box is placed at a suitable height. Many people make the mistake of positioning their bird boxes too high up. Many birds prefer to nest nearer the ground in shrubs and bushes so find a position that is similar to places where birds would naturally build their nests.
- Birds will always look for somewhere safe to build their nests so if your bird house is vulnerable to predators such as cats, squirrels and rodents they will not use it. Position your bird box out of reach of predators and you could include safety features such as baffles to help protect birds using it. Choose a bird box with a small entrance hole which will also prevent larger birds entering and which may even eat eggs or hatchlings.
- If you choose to paint your bird box ensure it is suitable for birds. Toxic paint could kill birds and a brightly painted bird box may attract predators.
To help you nail the right criteria for your nest box, Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) has data for some of the more common birds including suggested size of the floor, depth of the box, entrance height above the floor, entrance diameter, and recommended height above ground. Get the details for Eastern Bluebird, Carolina Chickadee, Carolina Wren, House Wren, Tufted Titmouse, Red-headed Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Barn Owl, Screech Owl, and Wood Duck on the TPWD website here.
And, ultimately, as Birds & Blooms notes in Attracting Nesting Birds with Better Birdhouses, “not every birdhouse will be successful in attracting birds. The best way to increase your odds is to offer multiple houses of several types.”
Create brush piles.
Brush piles offer shelter and safe havens for all manner of birds, as well as other small critters. Birds build nests in the tangle of branches. But keep in mind that wildlife don’t wait for an invitation to hunker down in your carefully crafted brush pile designed just for them. If you have a brush pile of cleared cedar just waiting for your county burn ban to be lifted, be sure to consider what might be living deep within. Check for signs of life before lighting it up.
When building your brush piles, keep in mind that there are generally two types: teepee and foundation.
Teepee type. As described the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS): “The key to forming this type of habitat is to lightly pile branches in such a fashion so that plenty of sunlight reaches the ground. The branches can be sparingly piled in a teepee-type fashion or laid against an elevated object, such as a tree stump or fallen log. Discarded Christmas trees (without the tinsel) can be used in a similar manner. The resulting combination of overhead woody cover mixed with a grass and forb groundcover provides a secure hiding and resting site.”
Foundation type. As described by the NRCS: “Generally, brush piles of this type should range between 10 to 15 feet in diameter, and 5 to 8 feet in height. The most common design is built using logs (arranged in a tic-tac-toe pattern) for the foundation and covered with brush. Start with the largest material on the bottom to provide hiding space under the pile. Shallow depressions can also be dug before beginning the brush pile to provide more space.”
For much more information on constructing brush piles for wildlife, including suggested materials for your foundation, maintenance, strategic locations, and even how to make “living shelters,” check out Wildlife Brush Piles by NRCS.
Set up supplemental feeding.
From a 2-pound songbird bird feeder to a 200–pound turkey feeder, well-placed supplemental feeders are a relatively easy and effective way to provide supplemental food for birds, but they’re definitely not “set it and forget it.” Once you start feeding this way, it is very important that you keep it up and in good shape. Make sure your feeders are kept full and cleaned regularly to avoid contamination from aflatoxin. As the name indicates, aflatoxin is a toxic chemical produced by a mold that grows on grains. When consumed in sufficient doses, aflatoxin may reduce egg production, suppress immune response, and even kill. While the aflatoxin mold grows best in moist, warm conditions (versus, say, winter conditions), always be aware that you’re storing your feed properly and keeping it as dry as possible.
Book Landmark for your spring bird survey.
The Landmark Wildlife Management Breeding Bird or Spring Bird Surveys are typically conducted between April 1 and June 15, during the peak of the breeding season. During these surveys, landowners commonly get excellent views of our most colorful songbirds including Painted Buntings and Summer Tanagers. A Breeding Bird Survey is also a great opportunity to discuss wildflowers as they are most abundant in spring. Contact us for more information.
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