In their place we see more doves, grackles, magpies, crows and other birds considered less desirable. We've lost about half of our lark buntings over 30 years. Carter said he works a lot with ranchers on saving and enhancing bird habitat, and they are receptive. Even where dense housing developments have replaced short grass prairie, songbird losses can be mitigated by planting natives trees. Carter recommends chokecherry, peach-leafed willow, sumacs and serviceberry, all of which have a form of fruit relished by birds in the fall.
Birds love anything that fruits.
A source of water is important for birds year-round. Spring is a good time to observe bird behavior, according to the booklet Attracting Nesting Birds, from Wild Birds Unlimited. Courting a mate, building a nest, laying eggs, feeding hatchlings and then watching the babies as they learn to fly are rewarding glimpses of nature for young folks and old. While the robin makes its open-cupped home from grass and mud in trees and shrubs, he will welcome a nesting platform attached to a tree, fence or house, as will finches, swallows and doves. Other birds, used to nesting in cavities of trees, will accept human-made nesting boxes, or what we consider birdhouses, placed in the right habitat.