Resources to enhance your land for wildlife

Screech owl box installation at Huckleberry Hill Farms, Humboldt County, CA

Songbirds and Other Small Wildlife

A variety of habitat enahancements can be made for songbirds and other small wildlife, including nest boxes, hedgerows, native plant patches, and water sources. Check out the following links:


Bats

Bat houses are a great way to provide roosting habitat. It is easy to install bat houses incorrectly, so be sure to follow these guidance documents on how and where to install them. For example, in areas that are cool, bat houses must be placed in south-facing sheltered areas to allow heat build-up during the days. Conversely, in areas that are extremely hot, shade is critical. It is important to note that the houses are species-specific. Not every bat will occupy these structures. The bat House Builder’s Handbook can provide species-specific building instructions.

Pollinators (Bees & other insects, birds, and bats)

Pollinators provide critical ecosystem services in that they pollinate, or facilitate the movement of pollen between plants of the same species. In doing so, these plants can reproduce, produce fruit and seeds, and continue to thrive. Pollinators are in decline worldwide largely as a function of habitat loss. Help pollinators by creating pollinator patches with native plants.


Raptors and Other Large Birds

Raptors utilize perches as a vantage point to scan habitat for potential prey. Certain species also require large tree cavities for nesting, which can be in limited supply especially given the loss of mature and old growth forests.

  • Perches: designs for human-built raptor perches and guidance on the placement of perches and guidance on the placement of perches are available from: https://efotg.sc.egov.usda.gov/references/public/WY/RaptorPerches.pdf.

  • Project NestWatch https://nestwatch.org/learn/all-about-birdhouses/ identifies which birds (including owls, kestrels, wood ducks, and other large native birds) you can build a nest box or structure for in your region and habitat as well as identifying species-specific nest box/structure designs, instructions on nest box/structure placement (i.e., the type of habitat in which the nest box/structure should be deployed, the object on which the nest box/structure should be mounted), and information on maintaining nest boxes, including managing invasive species, dealing with predators, managing nest box competitors, and troubleshooting.


Minimize Spread of Invasive Species

Invasive plant species outcompete and displace native plants, which can have serious impacts to food sources and habitat for wildlife. Invasive species should be removed to the greatest extent possible, and replaced with natives.