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Shelter - What Is
A Snag?
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What Is A Snag and
do You Need A Snag?
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If you're new to birding,
you may wonder what people are talking about
when they refer to a 'snag' they have placed in
their yard. What exactly is a 'snag' and why
would you want one?
Simply put, a snag is a dead
tree. Birds and critters love them.
Landscape neatniks rethink the urge to remove
what must seem like "so much dead wood".
A snag provides shelter from
predators, a window and bench seat to
observe yard activities, a hidden
out-of-the-way diner serving delicious insects
and larvae, and a possible housing site for
nesting cavities.
If necessary for safety
reasons, remove the longest branches and the
top. Some believe the the best snag needs
to be at least 6 inches in diameter and 15
feet tall. While the larger the snag, the
better, don't overlook smaller branches or
stump-like pieces of tree that could be
relocated and "planted" near your own best
observation window. |
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| We've left dead trees
standing; placed large fallen branches with lots
of twigs near feeders (more of a brush pile);
and surrounded vertically and horizontally large
and small logs with plantings of bird-friendly
shrubs and perennials. A reclaimed
evergreen branch supports several bird
feeders and serves as a hammering area for
chickadees and tufted titmice to open sunflower
seeds. The shyer birds often go to one of the
snags for the privacy. This gives our backyard a
rustic-woodsy look. It's beautiful; birds and
critters appreciate the natural benefits; it
cost virtually nothing; and the all-important
advantage: a snag is the ultimate in going
green. Everybody wins! |
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