Creating a Bird-Friendly Backyard in Maryland

Our state serves as a crucial stopover point along the Atlantic Flyway, one of North America's major bird migration routes. Each spring and fall, millions of birds pass through Maryland, while many others call it home year-round. By creating bird-friendly spaces, we're not just enjoying beautiful wildlife—we're participating in vital conservation efforts. Native birds provide essential ecosystem services including pest control, pollination, and seed dispersal. A single chickadee family can consume over 350 caterpillars daily during nesting season, naturally protecting your garden from harmful insects. 

These iridescent blue-green birds arrive in Maryland each March, delighting observers with their graceful flight patterns over water and fields.

Key Facts:

• Tree Swallows eat flying insects exclusively, consuming up to 2,000 per day

• They're cavity nesters, making them perfect candidates for nest boxes

• Males arrive first in spring to claim territory, followed by females

Supporting Tree Swallows:

• Install nest boxes near water sources (within 100 yards if possible)

• Mount boxes 4-6 feet high on poles with predator guards

• Face entrance holes east or southeast

• Provide multiple boxes spaced 25+ feet apart

Perhaps no bird is more associated with spring's arrival than the American Robin. These thrushes are actually year-round Maryland residents, though winter populations often include northern migrants.

Robin Behavior:

• They hunt earthworms by sight, tilting their heads to spot movement

• Robins can have 2-3 broods per season in Maryland's climate

• Males establish territory through song, often starting before dawn

Creating Robin Habitat:

• Maintain areas of short grass for foraging

• Plant native berry-producing shrubs like elderberry and dogwood

• Provide shallow water sources or birdbaths

• Avoid pesticides that reduce earthworm populations

Creating safe, effective nest boxes requires understanding both bird behavior and local predators. Maryland's humid climate and diverse predator population present unique challenges. 

• State Bird Legacy: The Baltimore Oriole was Maryland's state bird from 1947-1973, when it was changed to Baltimore Oriole specifically (they're the same species, but the name was updated)

• Migration Marvel: Tree Swallows can fly up to 600 miles in a single day during migration, with some Maryland birds wintering as far south as Central America

• Chickadee Memory: Both Carolina and Black-capped Chickadees can remember thousands of hiding spots where they've cached seeds, using landmarks and spatial memory

• Robin's Red Breast: American Robin chicks are born without red breasts—they develop this coloring during their first molt at about 2 months old

• Ancient Mariners: The Chesapeake Bay has been a crucial bird habitat for over 10,000 years, with Native American shell middens containing bird bones from species still found here today

Supporting Maryland's native birds creates a ripple effect of environmental benefits while bringing daily joy to your outdoor spaces. Every sunflower seed feeder, every native plant, and every carefully constructed nest box contributes to the conservation of species that have called Maryland home for millennia.

Start small, observe closely, and let your growing understanding of these remarkable creatures guide your habitat improvements. Before long, you'll find yourself part of Maryland's rich tradition of bird stewardship, contributing to conservation efforts that span from your backyard to the continental scale.