Ever wondered why robins are so tame when you’re digging up your garden? It is because they have evolved to interact with wild boars which are very good at ripping up the soil and revealing tasty worms and insects’ within the soil. Both of which are robins’ main food sources.
Different birds have adapted to our British climate in different ways including using hedgerows and ancient trees as landmarks to help them navigate their way home or to help them locate food. If these landmarks are removed this affects a generation of birds, the birds may get lost and may never return. Habitats will be lost, and it becomes difficult to re-establish them. Birds are important as they help to keep our creepy crawly populations down, including pests such as slugs and snails, and even aphids and mosquitos near water. The use of pesticides and chemical fertilisers should be avoided where possible as toxicity levels can build up in the food chain and become concentrated.
Garden birds can support the local population of larger birds of prey such as sparrow hawks and peregrine falcons. Birds of prey in turn help to keep populations of mice and rats low. So, it is important to have a good diversity of types of birds in the area.
Developers can help encourage bird populations by providing large areas of flowering lawn, meadows and by creating densely wooded patches or thickets. These provide food and shelter for our feathered friends. Native hedgerows with large trees along site boundaries can also be provided and could be connected to existing or new green infrastructure to create a strong network of nature corridors for wildlife to use for shelter and food.
Homeowners can feed birds in colder months, when food sources are low, to allow birds to maintain a healthy metabolism during the cold months.
ACD Environmental is proud to work alongside multi-discipline design teams to offer bespoke solutions that can help address the loss of habitat on development sites. For more information, please contact us at mail@acdenv.co.uk