Winter Habitats

Goldfinch Photo by Doug Greenberg on Flickr

We’ve had our first snow here in Northern Illinois. While many people love cold weather other dread it, nevertheless, we all us seek refuge from it in the warmth of our homes. Fauna are also forced to find places in their habitat to keep them protected from the weather. Prairie landscapes provide not only shelter but also food  and nesting sources for the winter creatures.

Once the feeders are empty, birds forage on their own to find food in their habitats. There are many native trees, shrubs, grasses and forbs that provide nourishment for the birds with their fruits, berries, or seeds in the fall and winter months. Below is a brief list of some native flora and the food source the provide as well as the fauna that they feed.

Common Plant Name	Food source	Nesting (N) or Shelter source (S) or (GS)	Attracted Fauna
Black-eyed Susan	Seed		American Goldfinches, chickadees, nut hatches, sparrows, towhees
Blazing star	Seed		Finches and sparrows
Prairie coreopsis	Seed
Goldenrod	Seed	Plant= insect (S)	finches, pine siskins, yellow-rumped warblers, indigo buntings
Joe-pye weed	Seed	Fluff=bird (N)	chickadees, wrens, titmice and juncos
New England Aster	Seed	Leaves= bird (N)
Purple cone flowers	Seed		American Goldfinches, pine siskin
Wild columbine	Seed		sparrows
Wild Geranium	Seed		Mourning dove and bobwhites
Big blue stem	Seed Plant	Plant=birds & waterfowl (S) Insects (S) Plant = deer forage	Seed=Songbirds Plant=Deer and small mammal
Little blue stem	Seed	Plant= birds (GS)	Songbirds, upland game birds, small mammals
Side oats grama	Seed Plant	Plant=bird (S)	Seed=Songbirds and small mammals Plant=Deer
Switchgrass	Seed	Plant = bird & small mammal (GS N)	Seed=Songbirds and small mammals
Buttonbush	Fruit Seeds	Plant=Bird (N)	Fruit=WaterfowlSeed=Insects, beaver, muskrat
Nannyberry	Fruit	Plant=Bird (N)	Gray catbird, common flicker, American Robin, eastern bluebird, cedar waxwing

For humans, prairie plantings add visual interest to the winter landscape. Even the smallest prairie gardens can make a difference in whether small creatures survive winter, whereas larger restorations support the wintering of a greater number of fauna. These plants and animals and chose this habitat as their home and we should try to save or restore it. As a bonus for our efforts, we get to enjoy their company, along with the diverse landscape in which they inhabit. So this spring, as you are planning your garden, plant with a purpose!

Related articles

• Feed the birds: How to ready your garden for winter (guardian.co.uk)
• Setting the Table for Wildlife by Janet Martinelli
• For the Birds (notdabblinginnormal.wordpress.com)

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Posted by prairiepiece on December 18, 2011

http://prairiepiece.wordpress.com/2011/12/18/winter-habitats/