Archive for August, 2010

Birds that use Fruit from Native Plants in Georgia

Birds that use Fruit from Native Plants in Georgia

 Species                                 Number of Plants Used                             

 Ruffed Grouse                                  3
Wild Turkey                                      5
Northern Bobwhite                          13
Mourning Dove                                  1
Yellow-billed Cuckoo                         3
Red-headed Woodpecker                 20
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker                10
Downy Woodpecker                          6
Hairy Woodpecker                            2
Red-cockaded Woodpecker               1
Northern Flicker                              11
Pileated Woodpecker                       13
Eastern Phoebe                                3
Great Crested Flycatcher                 8
Eastern Kingbird                              9
White-eyed Vireo                             9
Blue-headed Vireo                           2
Red-eyed Vireo                              11
Blue Jay                                          9
American Crow                              10
Fish Crow                                        5
Tree Swallow                                   1
Carolina Chickadee                          5
Tufted Titmouse                              6
Carolina Wren                                 4
House Wren                                     1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet                      4
Eastern Bluebird                            23
Veery                                              9
Gray-cheeked Thrush                      5
Swainson’s Thrush                          7
Hermit  Thrush                             10
Wood Thrush                                  9 
American Robin                             24
Gray Catbird                                 18
Northern Mockingbird                   25
Brown Thrasher                            20
European Starling                           7
Cedar Waxwing                            15
Tennessee Warbler                        2
Orange-crowned Warbler                1
Magnolia Warbler                           2
Yellow-rumped Warbler                  5
Pine Warbler                                  7
American Redstart                         1
Yellow-breasted Chat                     9
Summer Tanager                           12
Scarlet Tanager                             11
Eastern Towhee                             10
Song Sparrow                                  1
White-throated Sparrow                 4
Dark-eyed Junco                              1
Northern Cardinal                          20
Rose-breasted Grosbeak                 7
Blue Grosbeak                                 5
Indigo Bunting                                 5
Red-winged Blackbird                      1
Common Grackle                            8
Orchard Oriole                                8
Baltimore Oriole                             5
Purple Finch                                    5
House finch                                     8
Pine Siskin                                      1
American Goldfinch                         3
Evening Grosbeak                           6

Resource:  The Ecology of Fruit-eating Birds in Georgia.  2009  Ferrari, James and Jerry A. Payne
A GOS Occasional Publication No.18
Available from www.gos.org

Native Fruit-bearing Plants that Attract SE Birds

Fruit-bearing Native Plants of Georgia Known to Attract Birds

     Plant                                                                                    Number of bird species attracted

 Red Mulberry              Morus rubra                                                    36
Flowering Dogwood    Cornus florida                                                  34
Serviceberry                Amelanchier arborea                                      32
Poison Ivy                    Toxicodendron radicans                                  29
Black Cherry               Prunus serotina                                                26
Blackgum                    Nyssa sylvatica                                                26
Hackberry                   Celtis laevigata                                               23
Blackberry                   Rubus spp.                                                      21
Southern Magnolia     Magnolia grandiflora                                        20
Blueberry                    Vaccinium spp.                                                19
Virginia Creeper         Parthenocissus quinquefolia                             19
Grape                          Vitus spp.                                                       18
Elderberry                   Sambucus canadensis                                      17
Beautyberry                Callicarpa americana                                     16
Hawthorne                  Crataegus spp.                                               16
Smilax                         Smilax spp.                                                    16
Persimmon                  Diospyros virginiana                                       15
Pokeweed                    Phytolacca americana                                   14
Sumac                         Sumac spp.                                                     14
Eastern Redcedar       Juniperus virginiana                                        11
Muscadine Grape       Vitus rotundifolia                                             11
American Holly           Ilex opaca                                                       11
Deciduous Holly          Ilex decidua                                                     8
Waxmyrtle                 Myrica cerifera                                                9
Sassafras                     Sassafras albidum                                          7
Devil’s Walking Stick   Aralia spinosa                                                7
Mistletoe                     Phoradendron serotinum                                5
Gallberry                     Ilex glabra                                                     4
Yaupon Holly               Ilex vomitoria                                                 3 

Plants for Hummingbirds 

Bee balm                     Monarda didyma             Blazing star                Liatris spicata
Cardinal flower           Lobelia cardinalis            Great blue lobelia     Lobelia siphilitica
Pink turtlehead          Chelone lyonii                   Bleeding heart         Dicentra eximea
Columbine                   Aquilegia canadensis       Firepink                   Selene virginica
Virginia bluebells        Mertensia virginica        Coral honeysuckle   Lonicera sempervirens
Trumpet vine              Camsis radicans              Cinnamon fern        Osmunda cinamomea 

 Resource:  The Ecology of Fruit-eating Birds in Georgia.  2009  Ferrari, James and Jerry A. Payne
A GOS Occasional Publication No.18
Available from www.gos.org