What Is A Snag?

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.

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!