The presence of flying insects, including common flies, signals an opportunity for natural pest management. Attracting insectivorous birds offers an ecologically sound way to manage fly populations without relying on chemical treatments. These birds consume large quantities of insects, especially when feeding their young during the breeding season. Creating a welcoming habitat involves providing specific shelter, clean water sources, and a safe environment to encourage these feathered allies to take up residence. This approach supports local biodiversity while effectively reducing nuisance flies around a property.
Identifying Key Insectivorous Species
Different bird species employ distinct hunting methods for capturing flies and other flying insects. Aerial insectivores, such as swallows and martins, capture prey directly in flight, a method often called “hawking.” Purple Martins and Barn Swallows are excellent examples, spending a large portion of their day swooping through the air to consume flies, mosquitoes, and beetles. A single Purple Martin can consume thousands of insects daily, making them highly effective for pest control.
Other species, known as “salliers,” prefer to hunt from a stationary perch. Flycatchers, like the Eastern Phoebe, sit on a low branch or wire, scan the air, and then quickly dart out to snap an insect before returning to their spot. This perching and sallying technique is effective against larger, slower-moving flies. While warblers and wrens also consume flies, they typically forage by gleaning insects from foliage, making swallows and flycatchers the most direct solution for flying pest issues.
Essential Housing and Shelter Requirements
Providing specialized nesting structures is often the most direct way to attract specific insect-eating birds. Purple Martins, which are highly colonial, require multi-compartment housing placed on a pole in an open area. Ideal compartments should measure approximately seven inches wide by twelve inches deep to protect nestlings from predators and the elements, and the pole should elevate the house between twelve and twenty feet high. The housing must be situated at least forty feet away from tall trees or buildings to allow the martins a clear flight path.
Swallows, such as the Barn Swallow, build open cup-shaped nests and readily use artificial nesting shelves mounted under protective overhangs. These simple shelves should be small, preferably four inches square or less, and tucked close to the ceiling of a porch, shed, or barn eave. Eastern Phoebes often construct their moss and mud nests on ledges or in niches beneath man-made structures like bridges or building eaves. Offering rough-surfaced, semi-open nesting sites under sheltered areas encourages these flycatchers to settle near a fly problem.
Providing Water and Supplemental Attractants
A reliable source of clean water is a major factor in attracting insectivorous birds, who need it for both drinking and feather maintenance. Bird baths should be shallow, with the water depth not exceeding one to two inches in the center, allowing smaller species to safely wade and bathe. Placing a few stones inside the basin provides perching spots and helps birds gauge the water depth. The bird bath should be placed near protective cover, such as shrubs, but far enough away to deter ground predators.
Moving water is particularly enticing because the sound of trickling water suggests freshness and visibility. Adding a simple mister, dripper, or small solar-powered fountain creates the necessary movement and sound to attract attention from a distance. While the primary goal is fly consumption, offering live or dried mealworms can act as a supplemental attractant that mimics their natural insect diet, especially during periods of poor weather or early spring.
Protecting Insect Eaters from Threats
The most significant threat to birds that rely on insects is the widespread use of insecticides. Chemicals like neonicotinoids not only reduce the local fly population but also cause secondary poisoning in birds that consume contaminated insects. This exposure can lead to reproductive issues, nervous system toxicity, and long-term population decline for insectivores.
To ensure a safe environment, all use of residual or fogging pesticides must be eliminated in the immediate area, preserving the birds’ food source. Protecting the birds from common predators, especially domestic cats, is important, which can be accomplished by keeping cats indoors.
Minimizing the risk of window strikes is a necessary safety measure. This involves placing reflective decals on large panes of glass. Alternatively, position feeders and baths within three feet of a window so birds cannot build up fatal momentum.