THINK LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE - but in your yard. Those who've read pioneer Laura Ingalls Wilder's magnum opus can envision the breathtaking beauty of the prairie through her simple yet detailed prose.
Little Bluestem Attracts birds, even game birds, and blooms in late summer into early fall.
In the chapter "Prairie Days," Wilder writes, "There was only the enormous, empty prairie, with grasses blowing in waves of light and shadow across it, and the great blue sky above it, and the birds flying up from it and singing with joy because the sun was rising." What a heartwarming homage.
Butterfly Weed Monarch butterflies' host plant and a food source for butterflies, bees and hummingbirds. Blooms early to late summer.
Prairie plant proponents know that they provide picturesque additions to backyard gardens. Better yet, they produce plenty of benefits for birds, bees, pollinators and other local wildlife, and they do so from early spring through late fall.
Aromatic Aster Attracts pollinators and birds. Blooms late summer to fall and can be aggressive and overwhelm small spaces.
Understanding the Prairie Ecosystem
Prairies are substantial tracts of flat grassland that dominate the Midwest. According to the National Park Service, nearly a third of North America was once covered in grassland.
When people hear "prairie," many may imagine farm fields growing golden wheat. Farming aside, this habitat's plants evolved to tolerate cold winters, warm summers and environmental disturbances. They're well-adapted to maximize photosynthesis and minimize water loss.
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Sense or Nonsense? - Why some birds can taste and smell - but others can't
Does a porcelain berry taste like a blueberry to a gray catbird? Does a block of lard smell like frying bacon to a northern flicker? The short answer is no. While some avian species do have a well-adapted sense of taste or smell, they can't distinguish between flavors and odors the way humans can. They're not picking up every ingredient in the suet you put out, says José Ramírez-Garofalo, an ornithology researcher at Rutgers University in New Jersey and the director of Freshkills Biological Station in Staten Island, New York.
Maple Mania - Amazing facts about this fall foliage mainstay
Amazing facts about this fall foliage mainstay
Food-Focused and Fierce - Meet Canada jays and learn why they eat almost anything they can find
Even if you haven't heard of Canada jays, you've heard of their relatives. Members of the corvid family, they belong to the same group as American crows, blackbilled magpies, and jays including blue, Steller's and scrub. "Unlike many of the other jays, a Canada jay doesn't have a crest of any kind; it just has a rounded head," says Dale Gentry, director of conservation for Audubon Upper Mississippi River.In 2018, the Canada jay's name was changed from gray jay, but Dale thinks the former adjective was fitting. "Most of its body is shades of gray with some white," he says. "There are different subspecies that have different physical traits, but most of them have some lighter coloring on their foreheads, upper breasts and throats, each with a darker streak that starts at each eye and goes back."
IN GOOD COMPANY
BIRDS OF A FEATHER MAY FLOCK TOGETHER, but what about other collectives of critters-and what do you call them when they do?
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