Orioles are among the variety of bird species that will be attracted to flowering crab apple trees in the spring, while other birds will be attracted to the fruits during fall and winter (photos by Paul Konrad). Testimony to the attraction of a spring-fruiting mulberry tree, a Cedar Waxwing was one of many bird species eating fruits, while you can see that the leaves provide cover and resting areas too.

As spring migration kicks in and different songbirds begin to appear in your yard, it’s a good time to think about next spring, and consider planting a new tree in your yard. Adding a new tree to your yard can be a valuable move to help improve and enlarge our urban and suburban woodlands. It’s a big plus to help improve “islands” of habitat to benefit migrating and nesting birds. One tree can really make a difference to the look and attractiveness of your yard – long term – while it also provides shade, cover, food, and nesting areas for birds.

A single tree can make all the difference in your yard; one that flowers in the spring can attracts orioles, warblers, hummingbirds, tanagers, grosbeaks, and vireos looking for flower nectar and the small insects they need for nourishment during a migration stopover. The same tree may also produce fruit in the fall that benefits robins and other thrushes, waxwings, tanagers, and catbirds. In fact, in the sunbelt, some trees may be fruiting during spring migration, thereby providing an important food source, shade, and cover.

A great example of planting a single tree that is paying off in a big way was shared online by a birder from the Houston area, who described the “fruits” of planting a mulberry tree in the back corner of his yard. During a recent afternoon he positioned a lawn chair in the shade to relax nearby and observe the birds that visited the fruiting tree from 3 to 6pm. He reported that the local Northern Cardinals, Carolina Chickadees, Downy and Red-bellied Woodpeckers, and Northern Mockingbirds were feasting, but it was really the early May migrants that were amazing.

At least 20 male Scarlet Tanagers were active with a half-dozen male Summer Tanagers, several Baltimore Orioles and an Orchard Oriole, many Indigo Buntings, at least 20 Swainson’s Thrushes; a few Gray-cheeked Thrushes, about half a dozen Gray Catbirds, 2 or 3 Magnolia Warblers, 3 Black-throated Green Warblers, 6 Tennessee Warblers, 1 Yellow-breasted Chat, a Warbling Vireo, and a Philadelphia Vireo!

In case you weren’t keeping count, that was 19 species that included 62 birds plus some non-numeric totals of “several, a few, and many,” which may have pushed the true total to closer to 80 or more! And these were some pretty remarkable birds attracted to and feeding in a single tree! Talk about a bird magnet! After reading an exciting personal report like that, any birder that lives within the growing range of mulberry trees should be inspired to plant one in their yard – immediately.

We related to this report because we had a similar Texas experience at High Island, where a fruiting mulberry tree was attracting a constant parade of Scarlet Tanagers, Summer Tanagers, Baltimore Orioles, Cedar Waxwings, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Northern Mockingbirds, and Gray Catbirds over the early May days we spent there.

So what’s the catch? The range of mulberry trees is from southern Minnesota, Ontario, and Vermont south to Florida, and west as far as southeast South Dakota to southern Texas – in other words, across most of the eastern half of the continental United States, plus southern Ontario. Red Mulberry is a native species, and its attraction and benefit for birds can’t be denied.

One other catch is what month mulberry trees produce berries in your area of the country. While the south Texas mulberries provide timely fruits for migrating songbirds during spring, mulberry trees produce a late summer crop of berries in northern parts of the trees’ range, which makes them a fall migration food source for songbirds, which could include robins and bluebirds among waxwings, warblers, thrushes, and more.

Non-Mulberry Tree Selections

Even so, a mulberry tree is just one example of how your choice of a new tree can attract birds to your yard while benefitting local and migrating birds that need food and a place to rest and shelter – and possibly a place to nest. Of course, the varieties of trees that you can grow will depend on the climate zone where you live. One way to select a “bird magnet tree” is to think about which tree(s) in your neighborhood or the surrounding area produce flowers and fruits that attract birds – and are pleasing to your eyes. This may create a little research project for you to keep aware of and react to when you witness birds utilizing a certain tree this spring.

Try contacting other birders in your area, birding clubs, Audubon centers, and other nature centers to get their input. Local nurseries can be helpful, and local birding stores like a Wild Birds Unlimited or Wild Bird Centers store might be an even better bet to ask for advice. If there’s not one of these stores or an independent birding store in your area, call the WBU store closest to your home, even if it’s in a nearby state, and ask for their advice.

Landscaping with native trees and other plants is always a plus for attracting native birds. To learn more about trees that provide blooms, berries, and cover, you can begin by referring to the following websites: Attract Birds: A Dozen Native Trees and Shrubs that Birds Love (abcbirds.org) plus 9 Best Fruit Trees for Birds - Our Wild Garden and 15 Colorful Trees & Shrubs to Attract Stunning Birds To Your Backyard (ruralsprout.com)

As we add trees and other plants to our yards, we birders like to make each choice count for the benefit of birds – like the mulberry tree – and appreciate how it will benefit birds for years to come, while beautifying our yard and accenting our home. Keep the idea of adding a new tree to your yard as doing your part to improving and enlarging our urban and suburban forests. Imagine if everyone added a new bird habitat tree this year – pass the word.

Share your backyard birding experiences and photographs with The Birding Wire at editorstbw2@gmail.com