BACKYARD wildlife HABITAT

Watching wildlife in your backyard is an experience many homeowners enjoy. In order to create the best habitat for different wildlife, considerations have to be taken for providing food, water, and shelter. Native plants are often used in backyard wildlife habitat. To attract specific types of wildlife, you must learn what types of plants provide food and shelter for these animals. Many publications provide specific listings of plants good for habitat and food for various bird and butterfly species. Backyard wildlife habitat can complement bed and breakfast businesses and provide entertainment for agritourism visitors as well.

These resources have been compiled from various resources and agencies and are provided here for educational purposes only. Please if you find information that needs to be updated, broken links, or if you have an additional resource you feel is pertinent.

• Mississippi Recreational Gardens: Establishing a Backyard Wildlife Habitat
  Mississippi State University Extension Service. All wildlife requires food, water and shelter to survive. This publication discusses providing those necessities in a backyard environment. Detailed information is given on how to attract birds, hummingbirds, butterflies, bats, snakes, lizards, toads and frogs. Information is also provided on controlling deer, rodents, and other animals that are considered pests. Management tips are given for making your backyard the best habitat possible including an example and how to create a trail.
  

  AUDIO CLIP: 3/9/06 John DeFazio, NRCS Wildlife biologist, talks about Backyard Wildlife.

• Improving Your Backyard Wildlife Habitat
  University of Tennessee Extension. This publication covers the basic needs of backyard wildlfe, habitat diversity and structure, edge and vertical structure of habitat, and shows you how to draw up plans for backyard wildlife habitat and how to install it using native plants and supplementing with feeder and nest boxes. Habitat requirements for eastern bluebirds is highlighted.
• Wildlife habitat in your backyard: make a home for birds, butterflies, and nature's other creatures
  Natural Resources Conservation Service. Provides the steps for creating backyard habitat for wildlife. Specifically covers landscaping and plant species for birds as well as providing additional food and cover for birds. Also provides information on food and shelter for butterflies, attracting bees, bats, reptiles and amphibians.
  
• Gardening for Wildlife
  National Wildlife Federation. This website provides a listing of top ten native plants for each U.S. region, brief instructions for construction a small backyard pond, constructing bird, bat, and bee houses, how to mulch, water conservation techniques, and a way to certify your backyard habitat.


• Principles for Creating a Backyard Wildlife Habitat
  University of Maine Cooperative Extension. This publication covers the steps necessary to provide the necessary components of habitat to attract wildlife. Visual examples of plants structure and species diversity are given. Note that the listed animal species are found in Maine.
  
• Bird Houses for Songbirds
  Alabama Cooperative Extension Service. Birds can be attracted to backyard habitats by providing nesting boxes. Bluebirds, robins, chickadees, tufted titmouse, wrens, and purple martins all use bird houses. This publications covers how to build bird houses for specific species including providing predator control measures. Different dimensions and heights are required for different birds. Details of construction and drawings are provided.