Bird and Wildlife Information

Information on the following topics is available in Adobe pdf format. Click to learn more and download a flyer for your use and distribution. We appreciate any feedback you have for us!

Feeding Birds Safely (Download Handout)

May 17, 2005-Please Note: Oregon Department of Fish and Game has announced an outbreak of salmonella in birds in the west. They are asking everyone to remove their feeders for at least one month. Fore more information click here

Most people who feed birds do so for two reasons:
1. To help the birds
2. To attract birds to their yard for enjoyment

These are great reasons to feed birds, but it is important to make sure you are not doing more harm then help! Feeding birds in your yard influences the composition of bird species and mammalian predators inhabiting your yard. If not done wisely, bird feeding can actually harm birds at the individual and population level. Here are some tips for safe bird feeding!

Types of feeders
Choose selective feeders, such as tube and cage feeders that favor smaller species such as chickadees and finches and discourage predators and non-native species. Seed on the ground and indiscriminate bird feeders such as open tray feeders, and feeders with large perches encourage jays, starlings, house sparrows and cowbirds.

Positioning of Feeders
Always be mindful of where you hang your feeder. Keep feeders away from shrubs where predators may be hiding and waiting for birds. Install predator guards to keep squirrels and rodents from feeding on your seed. Do not feed birds if you have cats in your yard.

Timing of Feeding
Do not feed birds during the nesting season (April 15-July) because you may be supporting nest predators such as jays, raccoons, and squirrels. Birds don't need feeders during the nesting season because insect and seeds are plentiful and birds feed their young high protein insects to ensure healthy chick growth.

Monitor your Feeder
Be aware of what is going on at your feeder. Watch for sick birds, predation events, and moldy seed. Keep feeders clean and temporarily remove them when there are sick birds or stalking predators. Clean feeders with a 10% bleach water solution and rake seed from the ground below your feeder. For more information on recognizing diseased birds visit: www.birds.cornell.edu/pfw/AboutBirdsandFeeding/DiseasedBirds.htm

Create Bird Habitat
Plant Native Plants. To determine what to plant in your yard, mimic the plant community in the surrounding wild-lands and open spaces. Plant only native or non-invasive plants in your yard. Never plant Scotch broom, pampas grass, purple loostrife, teasel, Scotch thistle, tansy ragwort, medusahead grass, or yellow star thistle, to name a few.

This information is available in flyer format. Click here to download a pdf file. Please feel free to distribute!

Backyard Habitat (Download Handout)

Creating habitat in your yard or on your property is a great way to help birds at home!

When landscaping for birds, mimic the surrounding habitat in your area. From a bird's perspective, good habitat has structure. This means plants growing at all levels, from the ground up! Low growing vegetation, shrubs, and trees help birds find the food and cover they need to survive. If you are unsure of what to plant, contact your local native plant nursery or native plant society.

• Here are a few simple things to do in your backyard:
• Plant native plant species
• Leave dead or dying trees (important food and nest source for woodpeckers and other cavity nesters)
• Keep Cats Indoors!

This information is available in flyer format. Click here to download a pdf file. Please feel free to distribute! For a list of plant species for the Rogue Valley, click here.

For more information visit:

PRBO Conservation Science, Landscaping For Birds

National Wildlife Federation Backyard Wildlife Habitat Program

Oregon Native Plant Society

Cats Indoors (Download Handout)

Cats kill millions of birds each day in this country. They are a non-native predator that negatively impacts bird populations. American Bird Conservancy and the National Humane Society urge people to keep cats as indoor pets only!

Click here to download an adobe pdf handout about cats. Feel free to distribute.

For more information or to participate in the Cats Indoors! Campaign contact:

American Bird Conservancy, Linda Winter, Director, Cats Indoors! Campaign
American Bird Conservancy
1834 Jefferson Place, NW
Washington, D.C. 20036

What to do if a bird is trapped in your house or business-

We frequently receive calls about birds trapped in businesses and houses. If this is the case, please do the following:

Stay calm; open any doors, windows or large openings to the enclosed space.
If the bird is flying rapidly around and hitting windows leave the area and let the bird calm down so it can find its way out of the building.
If it does not leave on its own, try to gently corner it with a butterfly net or a container of some sort.
In most cases the birds calm down and find their way out.
Determine how the bird entered the building or enclosed area and prevent this from happening again, if possible.

If the bird becomes stunned from hitting the window or wall, put it in a shoebox with holes and a soft towel. In many cases, birds are just stunned and need some quiet time to recover in a dark place. If the bird is more seriously injured and it is a native species, you can decide if you want to contact Wildlife Images 541-476-0222. Many songbirds do not recover from injuries beyond stuns.

Birds may come into a building in search of food, or they may be nesting nearby an open window, making it likely that they will get stuck inside. The most common bird that gets stuck inside is the non-native bird the House Sparrow. These birds are successful in living in close proximity to humans. Other common birds include Brewers Blackbirds and House Finches.

Injured and abandoned birds

The Klamath Bird Observatory studies wild birds and their habitats through scientific monitoring.

We do not re-habilitate wildlife. If you do encounter an injured or apparently abandoned bird, it is best to leave it alone. Remember, young birds recently out of the nest are often unable to fly but they are still being fed and cared for by their parents. Do not touch or remove them, the parents are likely nearby.

If a bird hits your window and is stunned, put it in a shoebox with holes and a soft towel. In many cases, birds are just stunned and need some quiet time to recover in a dark place. If the bird is more seriously injured and it is a native species, you can decide if you want to contact Wildlife Images 541-476-0222. Many songbirds do not recover from injuries beyond stuns.

The following organizations care for injured wildlife:
Wildlife Images: 541 476-0222.
Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife: 541 826-8774 Workdays 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
As a last resort -
State Police: 541 776-6111. (Central Point)

Shade Grown Coffee

What is shade grown or bird friendly coffee? Shade grown coffee is coffe grown in the shade of a forest as opposed to a cleared coffee plantation. Shade grown coffee provides important forest habitat for migrating and tropical songbirds.

To find out where to buy shade grown coffee visit the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center webpage

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Klamath Bird Observatory
PO Box 758
Ashland, OR
97520
(541) 201-0866
kbo@KlamathBird.org