I think I wasn't clear enough in my message, as some people have
responded by telling me which native plants are used by birds,
something I knew. What I really wanted to know was how many yards
have native plants that fruit-eating birds are visiting. Seems to me
that the vast majority of plants that robins use right in the city
are non-native, same true with waxwings in eastern Washington. I
assume the native plants that have bird-dispersed fruits are
presumably much used out in the country, but you sure don't see many
of them in people's yards. The note from Ruth Sullivan confirmed
this. She wrote about all the native plants she had planted, very
commendable, then mentioned the robins feeding on her pyracantha and
cotoneaster! Perhaps the non-natives, especially if they are
cultivars that have been bred for it, produce more fruits than the
natives, perhaps also later in winter, and are more important in
supporting flocks of robins and other fruit-eaters here in winter in
urban/suburban areas. It may be that the native shrubs and trees that
grow scattered through the woods are important, but we just don't see
concentrations of birds at them because the plants aren't that abundant.

Madrones are a good example of an important native species, and they
grow in large enough stands that sometimes there are great numbers of
frugivores in them, but they are local in distribution (and, I
believe, declining in some areas), and those stands aren't usually in
people's yards. Ed Swan's mention of 15-20 species in madrones
boggles my mind a bit, though, and I wonder if you would provide a
list, Ed. I've seen Steller's Jays, Band-tailed Pigeons, Cedar
Waxwings, Varied Thrushes, and robins, and I'm curious about the
species list beyond that.

I didn't mention hollies, which are probably as important as madrones
in attracting huge flocks of robins. Hollies are planted in big
stands in some areas, and I've seen hundreds and hundreds of robins
in them, as well as other fruit-eating species. I've always thought
that if you wanted to spend time looking for Dusky and Eyebrowed
Thrushes and the like, you should hang out in holly groves. Probably
madrone groves also.

Thanks, everyone, for all the great response!

Dennis
-----
Dennis Paulson
1724 NE 98 St.
Seattle, WA 98115
206-528-1382
dennispaulson at comcast.net



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