Beyond the Backyard Backyard Birds ♦ The Nevada Birding Map, pro‐ duced by NDOW, Lahontan Tips on Attracting and Audubon Society, the US Fish Feeding our and Wildlife Society, and the US The Nevada Department of Wildlife offers Feathered Friends Forest Service details statewide a Birds of Nevada Checklist brochure that birding destinations and are will increase your awareness of the variety available at NDOW offices. of Nevada’s birds that can be found in your B region. ♦ Pickup your Birds of Nevada ACKYARD Pickup your brochure at your local NDOW Checklist at your local NDOW of‐ office listed below or visit www.ndow.org/ fice or visit www.ndow.org/wild/ wild/bird/. bird/ to download the checklist. ♦ You can participate in counting and documenting the variety of birds you observe by visiting CONTACT US www.birdcount.org. B ♦ Other birding links: Lahontan Audubon Society: IRDS www.nevadaaudubon.org Red Rock Audubon Society: www.redrockaudubon.org The Nevada Department of Wildlife Great Basin Bird Observatory: Reno: (775) 688-1500 www.gbbo.org Las Vegas: (702) 486-5127 Partners in Flight: Elko: (775) 777-2300 www.partnersinflight.org Fallon: (775) 423-3171 Winnemucca: (775) 623-6565 HawkWatch International: Ely: (775) 289-1655 www.hawkwatch.org Henderson: (702) 486-6742 www.ndow.org Nevada Department of Wildlife www.ndow.org Bird Feeder Attracting Hummingbirds Bird Feeding Tips Feeding birds in your own yard can be Attracting hummingbirds to your yard an extremely rewarding pastime. It can be done by selecting a natural ap‐ has the flexibility of being a small‐scale proach, an artificial one, or a combina‐ project or a major endeavor. However, tion of both. it is a commitment, which should be When selecting a feeder, keep these taken seriously and fully understood. ♦ Offer seed in feeders at different levels points in mind: You will be amazed at how many and on the ground to increase visitor birds will arrive if running water is ♦ Glass feeders are easier to keep variety. Suet feeders are especially available. A shallow pan, about 2 clean than plastic ones. valuable in winter and will attract inches deep and at least 12 inches in ♦ Discourage bees from visiting your woodpeckers, flickers and nuthatches. diameter, should be filled with water feeder by purchasing one with bee ♦ Place feeders where birds are not vul‐ each morning. guards. nerable to window collisions and Many feeders are available to choose ♦ Purchase a feeder with red parts predators such as domestic cats. from. A platform feeder is a flat board since red seems to attract hum‐ ♦ Regularly disinfect feeders with a 5% with sideboards mounted to a post. A mingbirds. bleach solution to prevent diseases. tube feeder and other gravity‐fed feed‐ Commercial feeding solutions are ers are a good option for limiting use ♦ Hummingbird Sugar Water Solution: available, but you can make your own to certain species. Seed‐eaters are easy one part sugar to four parts water. For sugar water solution in just a few min‐ to attract with commercial seed. Black example, combine ¼ cup of sugar with utes (see Bird Feeding Tips). sunflower seed and thistle are popular one cup of water, boil, let cool, and fill draws for finches, while quail and Place your feeder in an area that is the feeder. Store leftover solution in chickadees prefer millet on the shaded, protected from the wind, and the refrigerator. ground. If you have squirrels, you near perching sites and cover. Adding red food coloring is not nec‐ may need to purchase feeders with Many native and exotic plants attract essary. squirrel guards. hummingbirds. They seem to favor Harvesting sunflowers grown from red tubular flowers such as scarlet sal‐ ♦ Clean humming‐ your garden can also be part of your via, fuchsia, and cardinal flower. bird feeders every three days by rins‐ feeding station. Simply cut the stalk ing with hot water with a sharp knife and hang the sun‐ flower head. Growing fruit trees will without soap. entice fruit eaters to visit your yard. .