Instead, plant a naturalistic hedge of such wildlife-attracting shrubs as elderberries, shrubby serviceberries and dogwoods, or evergreens such as red cedar. Provide water where birds can bathe and drink, either a birdbath or a pond. Birds are especially attracted to dripping water. Several devices are available that can be connected to your garden hose to create continuous dripping. Can the pesticides , or use them sparingly.
Some pesticides kill or harm birds and butterfly larvae directly.
Others kill or contaminate insects and other creatures that birds eat. Encourage your neighbors to create and link up patches of habitat to provide the maximum benefit for wildlife suffering from shrinking native habitat. The following books on gardening for wildlife are all published by the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. If you buy through this portal, Amazon will donate a percentage of your purchase price to the National Audubon Society. Send a letter to the editor about this piece .