SOS Begins at Home
Wisconsin’s songbirds are in serious trouble and need your help! The songbirds we love to see and hear have suffered the biggest declines: warblers, tanagers, orioles, grosbeaks, thrushes, and sparrows. Even the American Robin is declining. But, you can help.
SOS Save Our Songbirds is a state wide initiative of 180 groups committed to sustaining our songbirds and encouraging people to take immediate action at home to save our songbirds. Yes, you can help bring back our songbirds by doing three things at home: Plant, Protect, and Purchase.
Plant Natives
Habitat destruction and degradation are the biggest causes of bird loss. Our yards, no matter their size, can provide important habitat for birds. Plant some native plants that are good for birds. 96% of land-based birds feed insects to their young. Native trees, shrubs, and wildflowers that have evolved in Wisconsin provide far more insects than the nonnative plants common in many of our yards. Also, native plants can supply nectar, seeds, berries, shelter, and nesting areas for our birds.
Where can you get native plants? The Wisconsin DNR has a listing at https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/endangeredresources/nativeplants.
Our Fox Valley Area Wild Ones has a native plant sale every spring. See https://foxvalleyarea.wildones.org/spring-native-plant-sale/.
Protect Windows
Glass is invisible to birds. Up to 1 billion birds die every year after colliding with U.S. buildings, nearly half at home windows. Birds see reflections of habitat and sky in windows or see habitat through a window on the other side - and think they can fly to or through that habitat. By fixing just one window birds fly into you can immediately save birds!
There are many options for treating windows: screens, patterns, decals, cords, etc. Information on window solutions can be found at sossaveoursongbirds.org.
Purchase Bird-friendly Coffee
Most coffee is grown in ways that destroy songbird wintering habitat. Vast swaths of forest are cleared in Central and South America to grow open fields of coffee, eliminating songbird wintering habitat.
But there’s good news, some coffee is grown bird-friendly! Bird-friendly coffee is grown under a canopy of native trees/vegetation, the forest is not cleared, providing critical winter habitat for songbirds. Bird-friendly coffee is also grown organically without industrial fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides. Coffee that meets the Smithsonian’s strict Bird-Friendly standards carries the Bird-Friendly seal and is the best choice to help birds. A second option is USDA organic certified coffee. This coffee is probably grown under some shade and native vegetation that supports songbirds.
Where can you get bird-friendly coffee? Many bird-friendly coffees are available online, visit the Smithsonian’s site http://nationalzoo.si.edu/migratory-birds/bird-friendly. Birds and Beans Coffee is Bird-Friendly Certified and a partner with SOS. Birds and Beans Coffee is conveniently available at the Wildbird & Backyard in Appleton, Wis. or can be ordered at http://birdsandbeanscoffee.com.
USDA organic certified coffee is widely available at local stores and coffee shops in Wisconsin. Look for the USDA organic certified seal.
Please take these three actions at home to help save our songbirds. And spread the word about SOS Save Our Songbirds to everyone. sossaveoursongbirds.org.