Happy St. Patrick's Day! For a themed educational moment, we are thinking about four leaf clovers, or really, clovers with any number of leaves. The pot of gold at the end of the rainbow for many species of birds is in fact clover. Ground-feeding species, like Sparrows, Cardinals, and other birds like Finches, may particularly enjoy visiting the clover in your yard for a feast of seeds. Did you know, these Clover seeds provide birds with a high-protein content. 

Here at Wild Birds Unlimited, we like to emphasis providing a good habitat for your backyard bird friends. Sometimes, the ways we can help with this our quite simple, like allowing their food sources, such as Clover, to remain in our backyards. This is a great way to allow birds to see green, while you can save it! 

Don't forget, though, a bird's diet is not only clover and protein, and a bird's habitat is not only food. There are many ways we can be intentional about providing for our birds, especially those that are conscious of the seasons of the birds' lives. 

While we are talking about all things green and birds, what are your favorite types of birds that are green? 

Perhaps you like an Eclectus Parrot, whose males are green. 

Or maybe, you like Love Birds, which seem fitting to talk about since last month was the month of love. They mate for life. 

Even still, there is the Quetzal, the National Bird of Guatemala. And yes, you might be seeing extra green, because the Quetzal is also the name of Guatemalan currency. 

Then, too, if you can catch a glimpse of the fast-moving Hummingbird, you might see green on the Ruby-Throated Hummingbird. 

Warning* This picture of a Hummingbird in Summer might have you wishing for Spring and lush greens everywhere, with verdant fields. Then again, it might help you dream more vividly of Spring!

This Spring, while you are refreshing your backyard for the birds, they are refreshing their location. You can watch the birds on their migratory path at BirdCast

It is also important to remember that migrating birds may not be familiar with your house. Now is a great time to make sure your windows are clearly marked, and other steps are taken to prevent bird strikes. First, it is important to make sure that objects are applied to the outside of the window, as only external things will help birds to realize that there is something, not a continuation of their habitat, in front of them. 

You can even get creative with your solutions. If you have paint markers, these are one option, and if you want to let your kids join in the fun and educational opportunity, this can be a great option. Paracord is another option for helping to provide a visual break for birds.

It is also important to consider the distance of your birdfeeder from windows. Three feet is the best distance, as birds will typically not have picked up enough speed to have a fatal collision, but they still have the opportunity to avoid the window.

This episode of the Nature Centered Podcast includes important information about how you can help prevent window bird strikes, and the information above is summarized based on this episode. The Guest on this episode is Olivia and she is from Birds Canada. As a side note, with New York bordering Canada, and since we are entering Spring and our thoughts turn to gardening, you can also look at their resources for Gardening for Birds, for more information about creating a garden habitat that is made for the birds, too. This link provides more information about Gardening for Birds.