"In this revised and re-titled edition of Attracting Birds in the Texas Hill Country: A Guide to Land Stewardship, biologist Rufus Stephens and educator Jan Wrede provide a comprehensive update to their popular and practical handbook that focuses on habitat improvement to benefit birds on properties of all sizes in Central Texas. Nearly 50 years of research shows that over time, the North American bird population has declined by 2.9 billion. Breeding birds have declined by nearly 30 percent in virtually all habitats, and Central Texas is no exception. Just as human impact on the environment has contributed to habitat loss, so can our actions restore the habitats that once sustained a thriving birdlife population. Central Texas resident, migrant, and wintering birds have specific habitat needs for cover, food, and water. Breeding birds also need specific habitat for raising their young. Thus, Land Stewardship for Birds: A Guide for Central Texas is organized by the types of habitats present: woodlands and savannahs; grasslands; rivers and streams; canyons, springs, and seeps; constructed tanks, ponds, and lakes; plus residential backyards. Three chapters on management of predators, deer, and cedar and other brush offer in-depth recommendations for addressing these important factors that impact bird habitat. New material in this edition includes a section on wildfire, improved bird census guidelines, updated plant lists, the latest standards for managing bird boxes, a more robust guide to managing brush species, and helpful apps and online resources, making Land Stewardship for Birds a valuable addition to the land steward's reference library"--

After years of working with landowners, land managers, naturalists, county officials, and others about wildlife management and land stewardship for birds in the Texas Hill Country, biologist Rufus Stephens and educator Jan Wrede teamed up to write a practical guidebook on how to improve habitat for birds on both small and large properties throughout the Hill Country. Because each bird species has specific needs for cover, food, water, nesting, and rearing their young, the book is organized by Hill Country habitat types: wooded slopes and savannahs; grasslands; rivers and creeks; canyons, seeps, and springs; tanks and ponds; plus residential backyards. Each chapter contains an in-depth discussion of common problems and possible solutions for developing optimum habitat. The book showcases 107 species in their habitats with color photographs and a short descriptive account of how to know the bird and care for its habitat. Three additional chapters on predator control, deer management, and cedar management offer detailed information on these special issues that impact the presence of birds throughout the region. As a comprehensive guide to habitat assessment, identification of birds and the habitats they use, plus stewardship practices that will benefit these birds, Attracting Birds in the Texas Hill Country offers landowners the ideal “how to manual” for writing an effective Wildlife Tax Valuation plan. By helping readers recognize and evaluate habitat health and then use appropriate habitat enhancement practices, the authors hope to inspire and enable widespread and effective bird conservation in the Texas Hill Country. And as bird populations flourish, so do the populations of other wildlife.

Foreword by Jonathan Franzen Original poem by Margaret Atwood With species ranging from tiny iridescent-green hummingbirds to giant, gangly flightless rheas, the Americas feature an astonishing array of birds that rely upon the region's tremendous diversity of habitats. That reliance may be very localized or it may reach across continents: Swainson's Thrushes travel from South America all the way to Alaska, while certain grebes spend their entire lives on a single lake. Treasured songbirds feed at northern backyard feeders yet often arrive from points far to the south. The American Bird Conservancy (ABC) works across the Americas with a goal to have birds routinely prioritized in all land-use and policy decision-making. Bringing Back the Birds showcases these efforts, alongside the stunning photography of Owen Deutsch and eloquent essays from renowned experts in the field: Peter P. Marra, Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center; researchers Kimberly and Kenn Kaufman; John W. Fitzpatrick, Cornell Lab of Ornithology; and Mike Parr, EJ Williams, and Clare Nielsenof ABC.

A practical, comprehensive, and thoroughly illustrated guide to attracting birds to any property.

Today, according to the US Fish and Wildlife Service, more than fifty million Americans feed birds around their homes, and over the last sixty years, billions of pounds of birdseed have filled millions of feeders in backyards everywhere. Feeding Wild Birds in America tells why and how a modest act of provision has become such a pervasive, popular, and often passionate aspect of people’s lives. Each chapter provides details on one or more bird-feeding development or trend including the “discovery” of seeds, the invention of different kinds of feeders, and the creation of new companies. Also woven into the book are the worlds of education, publishing, commerce, professional ornithology, and citizen science, all of which have embraced bird feeding at different times and from different perspectives. The authors take a decade-by-decade approach starting in the late nineteenth century, providing a historical overview in each chapter before covering topical developments (such as hummingbird feeding and birdbaths). On the one hand, they show that the story of bird feeding is one of entrepreneurial invention; on the other hand, they reveal how Americans, through a seemingly simple practice, have come to value the natural world.

This groundbreaking book brings together Native American and Indigenous scholars, wildlife managers, legal experts, and conservationists from dozens of tribes to share their wildlife stewardship philosophies, histories, principles, and practices. Tribes have jurisdiction over some of the healthiest wild areas in North America, collectively managing over 56 million acres of land. This is no accident: in addition to a deep reverence for the land and a strong history of environmental stewardship, Native peoples implement some of the best fish and wildlife preservation and management practices on the continent. Wildlife Stewardship on Tribal Lands is the first comprehensive resource dedicated to the voices and expertise of Native scholars and wildlife professionals. In its pages, nearly one hundred Native and non-native wildlife conservationists, managers, and their collaborators share lessons to guide wildlife professionals in how best to incorporate native methods and how to work effectively with tribal stakeholders. The authors cover topics that include: • Guidelines for conducting research on tribal lands • Traditional ecological knowledge-based management models • The cultural and ecological importance of key species • Legal battles for treaty rights, management authority, and funding • First foods and food sovereignty • Fisheries and migratory bird management • Tribal perspectives on the Endangered Species Act • A history of modern fish and wildlife management on tribal lands The content of this book is not limited to the invaluable reports of research findings, explications of methodologies, and case studies. Capturing oral histories and spiritual knowledge through interviews with tribal leaders and the work of Native artists and writers honors the holistic awareness of the land offered to readers of this unique volume. Ultimately, the contributors to Wildlife Stewardship on Tribal Lands demonstrate how tribal practices are pivotal guideposts for those seeking to protect and harness our natural resources in ways that can help reverse grievous biodiversity losses and ensure the health of our environment for future generations. Contributors: Scott Aikin, Steven Albert, John Antonio, Dale Becker, Bethany Berger, Kimberly Blaeser, Arthur Blazer, Michael Blumm, Michael Brydge, Ashley Carlisle, Frank Cerno Jr., Sally Carufel Williams, Guy Charlton, Samuel Chischilly, Bob Christensen, Gerald Cobell, Cody Desautel, Lauren Divine, Douglas W. Dompier, Ramona Emerson, Kari Eneas, James Fall, Julian J. Fischer, James R. Floyd, James Gensaw Sr., Michael I. Goldstein, Kim Gottschalk, Shaun Grassel, E. Richard Hart, Dylan R. Hedden-Nicely, Caleb Hickman, Serra J. Hoagland, Kraig Holmes, Nathan Jim, R. Roy Johnson, Jovon Jojola, Tamra Jones, Emily Sylvan Kim, Winona LaDuke, Stacy Leeds, Crystal Leonetti, Aaron P. Lestenkof, Chip Livingston, Lorraine Marquez Eiler, Eric Mellink, Paul I. Melovidov, Lara Mengak, Gary Paul Nabhan, Liliana Naves, Vern Northrup, nila northSun, Raymond E. Paddock III, Lizzy Pennock, Nicole Marie Pete, Aaron Poe, Georgiana Pongyesva, Ken Poynter, Mathis Quintana, Seafha Ramos, Janisse Ray, Vanessa L. Ray-Hodge, Amadeo Rea, Mitzi Reed, Marcie Rendon, Sarah F. Rinkevich, Bruce Robson, Andrea Rogers, Thomas C. Rothe, David E. Safine, Patty Schwalenberg, Kyle Secakuku, John Sewall, Todd Sformo, Richard T. Sherman, Ron Skates, Arthur M. Soukkala, Lawrence Stevens, Juliana Suzukawa, Julie Thorstenson, Gloria Tom, Christopher Tran, Craig van der Heiden, John Wheeler, Jessica Wiarda, Tiana Williams-Claussen.