Talk to anyone involved in the improvement of wildlife habitat and you will hear four words – food, water, cover, and space. These are the four essentials for wildlife. Without them you can have the best intentions in the world, but you won’t attract a wide variety of species to your property.

1. Talk to anyone involved in the improvement of W hen it comes to wildlife, we
automatically think about
food and water, but cover needs
wildlife habitat and you will hear four words –
are also critical for species
food, water, cover, and space. survival. Usually our involvement
with cover for wildlife ends with
These are the four essentials for wildlife. putting up a few bird nesting
Without them you can have the best intentions in boxes.
the world, but you won’t attract a wide variety of
These are fine, and have the
species to your property. added benefit of being
attractive and easy to place in
Cover & Space the yard, but other kinds of
wildlife require other types of
shelter. Wildlife needs
protection from both predators
Essential Elements and harsh weather, a place to
of a Wildlife Habitat stay cool or warm in season,
and a well-concealed location to
raise a family.
For more nature habitat information
Visit these helpful websites: Trees are obvious additions to
the landscape, particularly
pines which retain their
A Plant's Home
A Bird's Home sheltering qualities throughout
A Homesteader's Home the winter. Letting the branches
of evergreens – and deciduous
trees during the summer – grow
unpruned to the ground is an
easy way to increase cover for a
variety of small species.
While we tend to be quick to
remove dead trees, standing
“snags" and fallen logs are
invaluable for wildlife. They offer
both shelter and food to over
40 species of birds and more
than 20 kinds of mammals. In
addition, by attracting insect-
eating wildlife, they indirectly
serve to protect the living
plants on your property.
Leave Dead Trees
If they are not threatening
people or structures, or if they
can be reinforced or moved to a
safer location, letting dead
trees remain part of your
wildlife habitat will be of great
benefit.
© WindStar Wildlife Institute Page 1 A Plant's Home

2. Dead trees are only one Whenever you can create Discarded Christmas trees are
example of “free" shelter that this kind of environment, it will one source of brush pile
we remove when we manicure our sustain the widest variety of material. The foundation should
yards. Mowing takes away the wildlife. The same can be said consist of large rocks or big logs
tall grasses that protect large of planting in “levels," from which won’t decompose too
numbers of birds and small ground covers through shrubs, quickly.
mammals. Allowing a corner of on into small trees and finally
the yard, or a strip along one tall upper-story trees.
edge of your property, to grow
tall will help wildlife, while still Reduce Open Areas
retaining lawn areas for your While maintaining open areas
family. for your family, there are
corner-of-the-yard additions
Adding a fence, paths, or a that provide protective
bench can make this shelter, nesting sites, and
environment looked more escape routes for such
planned and acceptable in creatures as rabbits, foxes,
neighborhoods with strict and woodchucks. Rock piles or walls can be at
zoning regulations, as well as the back of your lot, or in the
encouraging you to walk inside Hedgerows of dogwood, center of a pond. They attract
for a closer look. honeysuckle, redbud, or wild ducks and turtles, so avoid
cherry offer both shelter and placing them near the edge of
You can let naturally- food, as do thickets of roses the water where those species
occurring vegetation grow tall or blackberries. If you have the would be more vulnerable to
enough to offer shelter, or you space, field crops such as predators. Providing food and
might want to think about corn, grain sorghum, or water sources close to any
creating a wildflower meadow soybeans are excellent. shelter feature will naturally
for additional color and beauty. make it even more attractive to
Brush piles are another wildlife.
One of the best places to find possibility, and should be
diversity of wildlife is known as placed near the edge of woods, Space to Raise a Family
“edge," that area where or at the edge of a pond with As humans, when we think
different types of plant part of the brush submerged. about desirable space, we tend
communities come together. They should be about 5 ft. high to picture it wide and open. For
This might involve an abrupt and at least 12 ft. in diameter. us, it is more of a luxury than a
change, such as woods to tilled necessity. While we can continue
farmland; or a more gradual to exist, even if more stressfully,
transition from woods to a tall within limited space, this isn’t
grass and brush-filled field. the case for wildlife.
Each species has a minimum
area that it requires for food,
water, raising a family, and basic
survival. This varies from very
small habitats to large tracts of
unbroken forest. While there can
be two to four chipmunks per
acre with a range as small as
half an acre, ideally there will be
only one to four raccoons per 47
acres, and their range can be
almost two miles.
© WindStar Wildlife Institute Page 2 A Plant's Home

3. The size of the animal isn’t
always the determining factor.
Woodchucks can be found as Feeders
densely populated as ten per
acre, with a range of only a
quarter of a mile, but opossums,
which are similar in size, are only
found two per mile, with a range
of 12 acres.
Needs within one species also
vary. Adult turkeys need mature
trees to roost in and to provide
food such as acorns, but their
young require clearings with
short grass where they can find
insects to eat. Some species,
such as bluebirds, will defend a Structural Plant
territorial area, while others like Components Components
purple martins enjoy living in
close communities.
Sixteen Components of Wildlife Habitat
While we can adapt fairly easily – Landscaping for Wildlife
to cramped quarters, the wildlife
need for space refers to more If photography is your aim, be family contributing something –
than actual distance between sure that there is some shelter water, feeders, shrubs with
individuals. It means the total to hide behind while watching winter berries – to the
environment within that area. animals drink and bathe. While combined landscape.
Squeezing species into ever- improving habitat certainly
shrinking space can mean the benefits wildlife, it should also In other situations,
death of individuals and, in the bring you pleasure and, if well- communities are working to
worst case, extinction. designed and built around enhance common areas, such
native plants, be relatively self- as public parks or retirement
Variety Attracts Variety sustaining. home properties.
By increasing the variety of
foods, types of vegetation, and It is very important to By improving one’s own
heights of habitat, as well as landscape our own properties property, others notice the
offering plentiful nourishment to be more supportive of wildlife, increased beauty and pleasure,
and water, you will be able to but it is equally important to and they are inspired to follow
attract the widest variety of encourage others to do the that example. In this way, small
wildlife to your property. same. By linking a number of changes can add up to major
yards, farms, and small tracts benefits to wildlife and the
When designing your landscape of trees through the efforts of overall environment.
to increase available space for individual owners, we are giving
different species, also think creatures a much greater Start today to think about
about your own plans for chance to thrive by creating ways to provide the four
interacting with wildlife. “wildlife corridors." essentials for wildlife, and soon
you will be an integral part of
If you are trying to attract a Neighbors as a Team the growing movement to
lot of birds, place feeders and In some parts of the country, restore habitat and increase
natural food sources in clear whole neighborhoods are the survival of our country’s
view from your window. starting to work together, each wildlife species.
© WindStar Wildlife Institute Page 3 A Plant's Home

4. Abundance & Home Range Requirements*
Species Abundance Range
Beaver .5/acre, 5-8 per colony 450 ft. from water
Big Brown Bat 12 to 200 per colony 30 mi. from birthplace
Black Bear 1 to 1.3 per mile Females 1 to 10 miles
Males 30 to 40 miles
Bobcat 1 per 2 to 4 miles .4 to 16 miles
Coyote 1 per 2 miles Females 10 to 30 miles
Males 40 miles
Eastern Chipmunk 2 to 4 per acre .5 to 1 acre
Eastern Mole 1 per 3 to 5 acres .3 acre
Gray Fox .01 per acre 1 to 5 miles
Gray Squirrel N/A 2 to 7 acres
Long-tailed
Weasel 1 per 16 to 18 miles 30 to 40 acres
Mink N/A 2 to 3 miles
Meadow Vole 35 per acre .1 to .23 acres
Muskrat 10 per acre (fall) 200 yards from den
Opossum 2 per mile 12 acres
Raccoon 1 per 4 to 47 acres .6 to 1.8 miles
Red Squirrel .8 to 3.8 per acre 3 to 6 acres This article was written by
Maryland Master Wildlife Habitat
Red Fox .01 acres 1 to 2 miles Naturalist Cathy Gilleland.
Short-tailed For more information or for the
Shrew Max: 48 per acre .5 to 1.25 acres name of a Master Wildlife Habitat
Naturalist in your area, please
Striped Skunk 31 per mile .25 to .5 miles contact:
Southern Flying WindStar Wildlife Institute
Squirrel Max: 5 per acre .5 acre
E-mail: wildlife@windstar.org
White-footed http://www.windstar.org
Mouse Max: 15 per acre .1 to .5 acre
White-tailed Deer Max: 100 per mile 150 to 500 acres WindStar Wildlife Institute is a
national, non-profit, conservation
Woodchuck 1.3 to 10 per acre .25 to .5 mile organization whose mission is to
help individuals and families
establish or improve the wildlife
* Compiled by J.S. Barclay and C. Grambartolomer Green habitat on their properties.
© WindStar Wildlife Institute Page 4 A Plant's Home