Build a haven for wild birds

Many kinds of birds are disappearing from our world. Loss of habitat is usually to blame. The good news is that private landowners and public land managers can help restore the natural order, one piece of property at a time.

With detailed pictures and instructions, the new second edition of "The Audubon Society Guide to Attracting Birds" leads the way. Author Stephen Kress goes well beyond the backyard bird feeder, showing stewards of the land how to create an entire habitat around the things wild birds need to survive.

"That means a lot more than just food and water. It means places to hide from predators, places to perch and sing and places to build nests," said Kress. The emphasis is on using all sorts of grasses, flowers, trees and shrubs that are native to a particular region, blending them into a well-planned habitat that will enhance the property and bring in more birds.

"The Audubon Society Guide to Attracting Birds" contains information on habitat-building that applies to all regions of North America. Chapters are devoted to creating

and preserving wetlands, grasslands, prairie, forest and backyard habitats. With 80 percent of wildlife habitat now in private hands, it falls to owners of all-sized properties to take the lead in conserving the diversity of both birds and plants. Otherwise these numbers will increase: 25 percent of North America's 800 bird species are on the Audubon Watchlist, and 29 percent of North American plant species are facing extinction.

Whether creating a habitat in an urban yard or a county park, on a highway median or country estate, the reader will find a wide range of techniques available to design landscapes that will benefit wild birds. The book was scheduled to arrive in stores in mid-April. It is published by Cornell University Press in association with the National Audubon Society and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Kress is vice president for bird conservation for the National Audubon Society. He also directs the Audubon Seabird Restoration Program, teaches field ornithology at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and has authored many books and papers about birds and habitat.