100 Plants to Feed the Birds

Turn Your Home Garden into a Healthy Bird Habitat

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Pub Date 20 Dec 2022 | Archive Date 20 Dec 2022
Storey Publishing, Storey Publishing, LLC

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Description

The growing group of bird enthusiasts who enjoy feeding and watching their feathered friends  will learn how they can expand their activity and help address the pressing issue of habitat loss with 100 Plants to Feed the Birds. In-depth profiles offer planting and care guidance for 100 native plant species that provide food and shelter for birds throughout the year, from winter all the way through breeding and migrating periods. Readers will learn about plants they can add to their gardens and cultivate, such as early-season pussy willow and late-season asters, as well as wild plants to refrain from weeding out, like jewelweed and goldenrod. Others, including 29 tree species, may already be present in the landscape and readers will learn how these plants support the birds who feed and nest in them. Introductory text explains how to create a healthy year-round landscape for birds. Plant photographs and range maps provide needed visual guidance to selecting the right plants for any location in North America.

The growing group of bird enthusiasts who enjoy feeding and watching their feathered friends  will learn how they can expand their activity and help address the pressing issue of habitat loss with ...


Available Editions

EDITION Other Format
ISBN 9781635864380
PRICE $16.99 (USD)
PAGES 256

Available on NetGalley

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Average rating from 134 members


Featured Reviews

I love to feed the birds in my backyard, but bird seed can become expensive to buy year round. This book helps you pick plants, shrubs and trees that will not only add beauty to your yard but provide for your feathered friends during the summer and fall.
The book is divided into sections. The first section is how to create a habitat for birds to live in. This section goes into details about the bird and plant relationships. There are beautiful pictures of the different types of birds and the trees/plants they enjoy.
Then it breaks down into plants: trees of all kinds, shrubs, plants and vines. In this section it list individual tree/plant type and information about that item. A map with the areas in which it is native. A chart with uses, type of sun exposure it likes, the seasons that this plant is useful to birds, color and size. It will even tell what birds favor that plant.
This is a must have book for bird lovers that want to provide some natural habitat for their local birds.

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Coming out early May next year is this wonderful book, for all looking to encourage more birds to their garden. Although the book is focused on the birds and poants more commonly found in North America, there are many plants and trees that are found in the UK that can be utilized to bring more of our avian friends to our gardens. Hopefully the book will encourage enough of us who appreciate these wonders of nature, to help restore some of their lost habitat into our own gardens.
For more information about the author visit https://www.lauraerickson.com/about-laura/

Thanks go to @netgalley @storeypub for an advanced copy to read.

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An Excellent book if you are trying to attract all those beautiful birds to your yard. The pictures are large enough so you can tell the good plant from the bad plants, and the pictures of the birds are just beautiful. The discription of the plants will tell you why the birds like the plant and how they are benifical for your garden and other critters.
The book is easy read and not complicated at all and I love the reference of the botanical clubs at the end of the book so I can learn more about the plants in my yard.

I want to thank Storey Publishing, Storey Publishing, LLC and NetGalley for this beautiful book about birds.

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100 Plants to Feed the Birds is a factually written books with the top 100 native trees, herbaceous plants, shrubs, grasses, vines, and plants that grown on trees for the entire United States. Each entry includes information about that particular item, what birds are attracted to them and for what reason, species that should and should not be planted and why as well as the map of the United States where the entry would be native and the best growing conditions. Under each particular section, each plant was listed in alphabetical order to make finding them easier.

As a beginner in trying to attract birds to my large yard in a state that's new to me, I read through each entry, looking in particular for plants and trees that would work for my particular location, I felt comfortable knowing what I was and wasn't looking for and why I would plant it in my yard.

This is a wonderful reference for anyone looking to plant native species in their yard to attract, not only birds, but the insects, bees, and butterflies that are attracted to them as well and I highly recommend purchasing it when it's released on 5/22/2022.

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100 Plants to Feed the Birds offers an excellent guide to native plants to use in your yard to attract birds. It has all the information you need to choose the right plants for your area of the country and for the type of birds you would like to attract to your backyard. It is filled with beautiful pictures and descriptions of birds and plants as well as what the birds gain from each plant.
This book is a wealth of information that includes trees, shrubs, vines, grasses, herbaceous plants, cactus as well as plants that grow on the trees. This book can help you achieve a backyard that will be both attractive and help feed the bird year-round.
It is certainly a book that I will find useful in helping me choose the plants I want to add to my yard.

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It’s a good thing to want to reach out to our feathered friends and serve them the best way we can. Knowledge is key. Difficult to accomplish but can be done with time and effort. This book helps bring a humongous amount of possibilities down to a much more doable project. But it is similar to starting out with a blank piece of paper. Start small and work up to more as time goes by. This is a great book of reference for a subject that truly makes sense of plants and birds.
I received an advanced reader copy for free from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

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You can't go wrong with the format that Storrey Publishing has created for their 100 series. Every book offers a dynamic format that draws in even the most leary who think they might not be able to make a dent in the much-needed habitat creation for wildlife. "100 Plants to Feed the Birds" does not disappoint! If you need suggestions for trees, shrubs, grasses, herbaceous plants, vines, cactus and yuccas, and even lichen and Spanish moss for birds this is the book!

Under each category, each one is listed alphabetically and a photo for each one, which is marvelous. The bird photos are spectacular and the book goes into great detail about what birds prefer what plant or tree.

I especially like the heavy lean to native but it's not excluding non-natives. I also appreciate that they said they would not be including invasives. Fantastic. There are many invasives that feed birds but the focus of this beautiful book is establishing habitat for birds that benefits biodiversity and bird health.

This book is worthy of inspiration book is worthy of gift-giving even to the most intimidated of gardeners. Laura Erickson has accomplished covering enough about plants and birds but not so much that the beginner won't be overwhelmed to try to incorporated plants to feed the birds. Hope you'll give this user-friendly highly inspiring book a try.

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This book is a great reference for anyone who is a seasoned gardener or a novice, and is interested in helping to attract more birds to their yard or simply helping out the bird population. Being a seasoned gardener myself and someone who loves to see birds in our yard, I can honestly say that the information provided seems to be completely accurate regarding the native plants needed for this purpose. It also stresses the fact that planting natives will not only bring more and provide more food for birds, this will also bring more insects that are needed to feed birds and provide you with more butterflies. It all works together. The photos are beautiful and there are plenty 9f them to give the reader an idea of what the birds look like and the plants they like.

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What a lovely book. Would make a great gift for anyone who loves birds, gardening and being in nature.

The information and different plants are extensive and well layed out so it's easy to follow. The photos and visuals are bright, beautiful & make it a pleasure to read.

Be advised: this book is for those living in North America - I wish there was a book like this available here! Loved it.

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The graphics really brought the reader in. The organization was easy to follow and let you find what you needed most. It would be a great resource to have on hand to learn more about natives to plant in general or to boost a certain species.

***********Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC, in exchange for my honest review************

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I love the birds that visit and make nests around my yard. For years I've been thinking about the decline of many song birds in the United States and have been wondering what I can plant in my yard to aid them. Most environmentally minded folks know about native plants but I needed more knowledge.

100 Plants to Feed the Birds by Laura Erickson is just the resource I was looking for. Erickson begins the book with a look and information about birds. Then beautifully moves the book in a beautifully organized way to plants. We get a detailed look at trees, grasses, flowers, bushes/shrubs and vines. We get a look at what grows best in each area of the country, which birds like and what purpose does the plant bring. WIth a key in the beginning we can see what is great for caterpillars, nesting, etc, Covers much more than just feeding the birds. They need shelter and areas to nest as well. 100 Plants to Feed the Birds has beautiful detailed photographs that not only compliment the book but make identification of both birds and plants simple.

I'm looking forward to adding a physical copy of this book to my gardening library. Also, looking forward for spring to get to work planting some species on Erickson's list!

Thank you #NetGalley for the early read. All opinions are my own. #100PlantstoFeedtheBirds

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If you are a bird watching enthusiast, or maybe you just desire to have more birds in your yard, this is the book for you. I enjoyed it so much and I have to mention that the pictures are absolutely gorgeous. This could definitely be a coffee table book. I would enjoy just flipping through the pages and admiring the photographs. But beyond the photographs this book has so much more to offer.

This book touches on everything imaginable that will attract birds to your yard...flowers, trees, berries and more. Pictures are included of each plant/fruit and the birds they will attract. Along with the pictures there is plenty of valuable information on what zones and conditions the plant grows best in. There's also lots of info on the birds and why they are attracted to this type of plant.

I learned so much from this book. It's not only a good reference book for birds, but I learned so much about plants as well. This would be a great addition to any nature lovers library.

Thanks to Net Galley for providing me with a copy of this book!

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Simply put, I love this book and cannot wait to get my hands on a hard copy. The layout is simple but beautifully designed, allowing the reader to jump into the book at any point and get inspiration. I know it is US based but there is a lot that is relevant to us Canadians: zone information, suggestions about companion planting to attract insects and year round attractants. It takes a lot to produce a full colour book can double as a coffee table book, many garden publishers don't. I'm happy to see Storey take this approach.

Thank you to Storey Publishing and Laura Erickson for providing me with a digital ARC for an honest review.

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I thought this was a great non fiction book about what people can do to plant the right kind of plants to help the bird population and give them a great habitat. I like how Laura Erickson divided up the book into different parts. A part on how to get started and then going to the different plants. There is a section for trees, shrubs, flowers, and grass. The list has different kinds from all over the different regions across the country and which one would better fit where you live. I learned a lot about the different plants and this is something the average person can understand and you don't have to be a hardcore gardener or plant lover to understand. Plus the photos in the book are so beautiful.

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100 Plants to Feed the Birds is an incredibly beautiful book. It has great pictures of the plants and the birds that eat them. It gives just the right amount of information with clear text and visual information. This book is useful for both beginners and more experienced bird and plant enthusiasts. My favorite part is the recommendations for different species of the plants for different conditions. Choosing a plant species for your situation can be confusing. This book makes it easier to find the perfect plants for your bird habitat.

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Oh, wow!!! This was a beautiful book. I was mostly interested in what I could plant in my 3 tiered bird garden that would offer more to the birds than just the seeds, suet, and nectar. The bright colored pictures and the easy to read information made me think that, “Yes! I can do that!” The information included how to create habitats that could include trees, grasses, and plants and also gave a map of areas that would suit the plants you choose, as well as what birds they would attract. Definitely going to find a hard copy of this to add to my library.

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This beautiful and informative book is a must for bird and nature lovers. Some of m6 favourite aspects of this book include:

* Stunning photography
* Well defined index and organized chapters/sections
* Tips on setting up your environment to be more bird friendly all while keeping it native/locally friendly and non invasive
* Loved the section on “Birdscaping Your Property” and ways to attract varieties of bird in a safe manners for both the birds and the environment (windows, pesticides etc…)
* Loved the standard template of the setup for the section on trees, grasses, flowers and berries for birds, along with the description on which birds the food source attracted. I also appreciate the matching identification photos for each tree that accompanies this section
* additional resources at the end is helpful

Thank you for the opportunity to review this eARC!

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Laura Erickson's book 100 PLANTS TO FEED THE BIRDS is exactly what I needed. Committed to a yard as nourishing to wildlife as it is beautiful to the eye, I've hunted down with dwindling enthusiasm the scant resources to realize the vision. This book solved that -- and offered the insight, thorough information, and perspective that will guide decisions about what to plant and where. I especially appreciated the variety and the thorough information that was presented -- a wonderful reference guide I will return to over and over. I received an advance reader copy of this book and my opinions are my own, unbiased thoughts.

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This book will become a "MUST HAVE" for anyone interested in Feeding birds where ever they live. This book is comprehensive to all of North America and gives great information on all matter of plant materials too. I love that there is special mention to the plants and trees that are good for the environs as well as a list of noxious plants or plants that are out of control. I personally think Lura Erickson has done a fantastic job putting this book together and I know a few "birder" friends that will love this book as well.

I just reviewed 100 Plants to Feed the Birds by Laura Erickson. #100PlantstoFeedtheBirds #NetGalley

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Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read and give an honest review of this book.

As a gardener, I own and have read many bird and gardening books. I was pleasantly surprised to find new and usable information in this handy guide.

The information most useful is the description of helpful and noxious, or invasive plants. There are wonderful photos of plants and birds. The maps depicting where certain plants will grow are also very useful. The author describes where native plants are declining and where they are invasive. Not only are plants useful to birds for food, described, but also those that provide a home for insects and caterpillars for bird food. Some of the listed plants are also useful as bird-nesting materials.

One very important fact I came away with is the importance of not providing plants for bird food that could interrupt bird migratory patterns.

There is much useful information to be obtained from this book, whether you are an avid bird watcher, or a home gardener. It is a great reference to keep on your gardening book shelf.

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An excellent introduction to gardening for birds. Beautiful photographs plus maps depicting the native range of the plant under discussion will help "bird gardeners" choose appropriate plants for their region and soil type. With thanks to NetGalley and Storey Publishing. Highly recommended.

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100 Plants to Feed the Birds: Turn Your Home Garden into a Healthy Bird Habitat by Laura Erickson is a wonderful starting point for incorporating more bird friendly plants into your home garden. As a first time home owner I'm very excited to begin working on landscaping in the front and backyard. I've been looking for guides to incorporate more biodiversity in my yard.

I appreciate that this book does a great job in emphasizing that readers should consult local gardening and birding groups for more specific recommendations of native plants. I thought it was very important that the author discussed invasive species and how dangerous they can be to local ecosystems. I was pleasantly surprised that the author also discusses the different needs of birds for nesting and feeding. I read this book with a mindset that this book would inform you on plants that birds will typically feed on (fruit and insect). It hadn't crossed my mind to consider the nesting needs of birds as well.

My only recommendation for this book would be to include better pictures of the plants discussed. The book contains beautiful images of the birds, which typically are close up images of the plants. I would appreciate a better visual of the plants. I can't wait to read other books by Laura Erickson! Thank you to Storey Publishing, Laura Erickson, and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book.

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100 Plants to Feed the Birds is a well written and beautifully photographed manual full of practical tips and information on building and maintaining welcoming habitats for birds aimed at readers in North America written and curated by Laura Erickson. Due out 20th Dec 2022 from Storey, it's 256 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats.

This is a well organized pictorial guide and plant encyclopedia. The first section covers the need for homeowners to help support and build habitat to mitigate the damage of habitat loss due to large scale farming, forestry, and urban sprawl. The bulk of the book contains 100 detailed plant profiles with range maps, sourcing information, habit, and uses. Each of the profiles contain descriptions, uses, culture info, specific species information, and photos of each plant which include wildlife nesting, using, and interacting with target plant species. Botanical nomenclature (Latin name) is used alongside some common/layman names to help with specific sourcing and remove confusion about which specific plant is being discussed.

The photography (mostly stock) is clear, illustrative, and in color.

Five stars. This is a useful guide and will make a good selection for public and school library acquisition, for homeowners, gardening groups, smallholders, activity groups, and similar.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

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Are yiou a bird enthusiast? Do you know how to attract more birds to your backyard? This book will answer all your questions concerning how to make it a safe bird habitat for them. Plants are one of the healthiest ways to attract birds. It is packed with information and photographs. It s written in an engaging matter. Wherever you live, the author gives the necessary information to make your backyard a “ bird Eden.” I. Have been lucky to have chosen the right plants most of the time for the birds. I recognize some of the birds when they come back for the late spring and early summer. They have babies every year. I am always delighted to learn about more plants that I can grow for the birds that stop by and then go on or decide to stay. It’s truly a wonderful experience to see the birds in the backyard. I have also found some new plants to get for the backyard in this book which I will get. It’s a book that I wished I had when I was trying to figure out what plants to get for the birds.

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This was excellent! I’d recommend it to any gardener, whether novice or expert.

I would like to thank Storey Publishing for providing me with an advance readers copy via access to the galley for free through the NetGalley program.

<b>The Story</b>
Covered a variety of trees and grasses for sanctuary insect pollinators, particularly birds.

It’s very accessible and includes plant care and time commitment for geographical and agricultural zone references for gardening success. Also is speaks to historical information, as well as pros and cons, environmental conscience, and presents ideas through multiple seasons, focusing on birds, which was refreshing to read and unique for this sort of gardening topic.

I enjoyed the historical bits about fireweed.

I was surprised about yellow iris, height of the thistle, and all the variety of berry types that I had not known much about.

<b>The Writing</b>
Well-organized, visually appealing with definitions and tidbits, and great photos.

Really a joy to read and I will look forward to adding a copy reference for my bookshelf.

<a href="https://ericarobbin.com">Blog post</a>

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What a beautiful book! Clear color photographs depict both the plants which feed and protect the birds, but also includes photographs of the birds. A map of where the plants grow and when the birds are in the region is very helpful. The prepub that I am reviewing had space for an index- an absolute essential- but it was not included. The thoroughness of the rest of the book makes me believe that the index will be of the same quality.

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100Plants to Feed the Birds by Laura Erickson is a very good book. I loved all the plants that I found out were great for hummingbirds and cardinals. I am always looking for more ways to attract to hummingbirds. A great reference book for finding out what plants are in the state you live.

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This was an informative read and I will definitely be recommending it to readers who like me were looking for native plants and flowers to put in their yards for birds. Easy to follow and understand, which is appreciated for newbies and I think there could be things to learn here for even the most seasoned birder!

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This is a fabulous book that is full of photos, information and advice for helping the feathered friends that visit your garden. I didn't realise that is a book based in America, so there are some birds that we don't get in the UK. That being said, it is still a fabulous book to flick through and pick up ideas for my own garden.

The first thing I liked about this book was the gorgeous photos of the birds, as I mentioned there are birds we don't have in the UK, but that didn't matter at all. We have our own variations of many of the birds. Also mentioned in this book are tree species, and again there are some we don't have.

The book is gorgeous, I got a kindle copy and it was great flicking through on the larger PC, so I was able to see the images in greater detail. This book is full of many tips for helping to promote your own garden and to encourage the wild birds to visit. In doing this you will also encourage insects that will then be beneficial for pollinating your own flowers and vegetables.

The basic advice is given as well as more detailed advice, quick hints and tips are given as well as themes that may take longer to come into their own, especially if you are planting slower-growing plants.

This is one that anyone interested in nature and encouraging nature into your garden will enjoy. You can be an armchair gardener as well as an active one with plots and plants. An informative and interesting book that I have taken some tips for planting next year.

Well laid out, gorgeous to look through and one I would definitely recommend.

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100 Plants to Feed the Birds is full of vital information for everyone in the United States and parts of Canada who wants to create nourishing environments for birds in their backyard. This book is unique in specifying which species of birds are helped by each plant and in what way. It is frank about the drawbacks of growing some of the plants and contains maps to show the native range of each plant.. Because the author limited the scope of the book to only 100 for the entire country, gardeners in each region will find a very manageable list of plants to investigate and source for their own yard. The book also contains some helpful photos of alien invasive plants to avoid or eradicate. I read an advance reader's copy for this review, but I have preordered a copy so I can do some research in my garden guides and get started sourcing some natives to plant for the birds next spring. (Perhaps I should gift a copy to our local nursery manager, too.)

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First of all, thank you so much to NetGalley and Storey Publishing for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

And now on to the review:

I LOVED this book!

As an avid gardener, I found this to be be an excellent resource for attracting birds to your yard and keeping them there when they come. I loved that the book was broken down into different kinds of plants (trees/shrubs, etc.) And then each individual plant had a guide to tell how they are advantageous for birds, butterflies and bees. There were also pictures of the United States shaded in to show where these plants can be grown as well as a brief description of the plant.

The photographs are beautiful, both of the birds and the plants, making this both an excellent resource and a joy to read.

I highly recommend this book!

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I love this! It has helped me in my gardening journey. It’s very educational. The author did very well in describing and including plants that help attract wildlife to your garden or yard.

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Author Laura Erickson created an exquisite book to help birds. She delves into plants, trees, shrubs, cactus, and yuccas most beneficial for our feathered friends. The best part of her book is the grasses she showcases, because many of us, even as professional wildlife biologists tend to forget that native grasses are essential to help feed birds and other wildlife.

Mixed with superb photos and graphics, this book provides insightful knowledge and guidance on what to plant to help birds. Love, love that she mentions Goldenrod as a beneficial plant, along with Ironweed. Those two plants are often overlooked as being needed by wildlife. Erickson even presents lichens, mosses, and mistletoe as being important for birds.

Hopefully, in the final printed version, the Glossary will be more expanded.

Overall, 100 Plants to Feed the Birds, will be a valuable resource to people wanting to help birds. While the photos are beautiful the layout and presentation of the material are even more eye-catching as a quick reference guide and quick read.

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This book is incredible! It is filled with vibrant pictures of the plants and various bird species. Each page has information on different plants, broken down by larger categories, that you can grow or find in your region of the United States. One of my favorite features was the "native range" maps for each plant. I like knowing exactly where the plants I am looking up grow naturally. It helps me understand which plants might be tolerant of my growing environment even if they are not native and which ones should ideally thrive. Even if you are less interested in birds, the book is full of information about plants that will help create a rich ecosystem in your growing space. I could easily take this book out as a guide to identify plants and learn how they interact with the insects and birds around them.

Tons of great tips and information, plus the beautiful photos, make this book a winner. It would be a perfect gift for any green thumbs or bird enthusiasts in your life. (And get one for yourself.)

Thank you for the advanced copy. I can't wait to see it on the shelves.

P.S. I looked up the author, Laura Erickson, and she has penned several other books about birds. She really knows her stuff and is clearly dedicated to the field of study!

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This is a truly beautiful book. I will be getting a print copy for my in-laws and myself. I loved all the knowledge I learned and hope to make my yard a bird oasis next spring. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.
. #100PlantstoFeedtheBirds #NetGalley #LauraErickson

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I love birds! I have spent and continue to spend hours upon hours enjoying and observing the birds in my yard. I'm always on the hunt more better ways to bring birds to my yard. This book was just another thing I needed to up my bird game.

I have two 50 year old pine trees in my front yard and I see first hand how much these two frees provide food, shelter and safety for all the different bird species that come and go. I loved that trees were not skipped in this book and each plant was detailed to show the region, growing/planting information, what birds these trees attract and overall tree/bird information.

Not only did I feel like I had the chance to learn more about the birds I love, I felt like I was learning so much about the plants that the birds frequent. My favourite section was the grasses. I have been thinking about making a native grass section in my garden and this gave me great ideas.

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