Overview

Wildlife is an important part of the environment in which we live, whether in a city or out in the country. Wildlife provide essential services such as pollinating the plants we grow for food and, for many of us, a personal sense of well-being. Maintaining or improving wildlife habitat contributes to healthy ecosystems and biodiversity across Ontario.

Habitat

Habitat is the combination of land-type, vegetation and climate conditions that a species needs for food, shelter and reproduction. Habitat components are also important for migration and hibernation.

Creating and maintaining wildlife habitat is as simple as doing nothing, letting nature be, or as involved as developing and implementing a multi-year management plan. Whether you have a large property or a small space, think about what habitat and vegetation types are suitable for your property or those that can add some local diversity. Consider how you can complement habitat features on your neighbour’s property and create larger patches or safe travel corridors.

Getting started

Wildlife do not always behave predictably so before you do anything, first ask yourself:

  • Do you or your neighbours want more of the wildlife that may be encouraged by the activities you have in mind?
  • Can your ideas lead to increased pressure from predators on neighbouring livestock farms or damage to adjacent agricultural crops? Do your farming neighbours support your potential plans?
  • Are you willing to accept those unanticipated visitors that may show up in addition to or instead of the ones you had in mind?
  • Does your municipality allow the habitat improvement ideas you have in mind?

If the answer to all those questions is yes, then let’s get started.

To begin, figure out how much of your property you have to work with and what kind of wildlife you want to provide habitat for. We’ve provided some suggestions suitable for a variety of wildlife species which begins with ideas for small spaces such as:

  • apartment balconies, front porches or window ledges
  • small yards

We then move onto ideas for larger areas such as:

  • large yards
  • small properties with a few acres
  • large properties
  • farms

Figure 1 is a nested illustration of possible suggestions, but let your imagination be your guide. Many of the ideas for small areas may be suitable for incorporating into plans for larger properties. Suggestions are organized according to the illustration legend.

Illustration of creating possible wildlife habitat suggestions for small areas that may be suitable for incorporating into plans for larger properties.

Figure 1. A visual representation of some wildlife habitat features which may be maintained or created on your property (Enlarge Figure 1)

Balconies and yards

A. Apartment balcony, front porch or window ledge

Consider a planter or two to encourage butterflies to stop by your apartment balcony, front porch or window ledge.

  1. Planters: Planters with flowers can attract pollinating insects and butterflies in a limited space. However, do not attempt to attract birds to areas close to your windows as collisions with windows kill many birds each year.

Follow your building rules and be a good neighbour.

B. Small yards

A small yard allows you to expand some small-scale features.

  1. Garden colour: A pollinator garden can help make your property wildlife-friendly while growing lots of brightly coloured and attractive flowers. Having a variety of different native flowers will attract a wide range of different pollinators, including butterflies and bees and ruby-throated hummingbirds. Choose different colours of flowers and ones that bloom during different times of the year to maximize the variety of insects that you will attract.

C. Large yards

Larger yards can accommodate more native trees and shrubs which provide seasonal food, shelter and nesting or den habitat for a variety of wildlife.

Photo of a standing but dead tree with cavities created by birds. These dead trees are referred to as snags and provide habitat for wildlife.

  1. Fallen trees and snags: One of the first things homeowners remove from their yard is dead trees or snags. Snags can be used by many different species including, woodpeckers, tree swallows and flying squirrels. Woodpeckers excavate cavities in dead or decaying live trees to lay their eggs and raise their young. Many bird species use these trees as a source of insects for food, digging into the wood or under the bark to find larvae and other bugs. If leaving a snag on your property, make sure that it’s safe and not a potential danger to people or property.

  2. Bird and bat houses: Building or purchasing birdhouses is an easy and satisfying way to help birds. There are many different methods of building birdhouses. The finer details such as the size of the hole, the distance from the floor of the house to the opening and the height of the pole can all impact which species you are most likely to find using the birdhouse. Eastern bluebirds and tree swallows are common species that will use birdhouses. Install them far enough away from each other to limit territorial conflicts between rivals of the same species.

    Bat houses are a great way to help attract bats to your property. Many species of bats have dropped dramatically in number after the spread of white-nose syndrome, a fungal infection that can wipe out entire colonies over the course of a year. Providing more safe roosting habitat gives them a better chance of survival. Bat houses can be difficult to get in the right spot and may take several years before they are used by bats. Do not get discouraged if bats do not use them right away, they just might not have found them yet.

Small and large properties and farms

Consider making a plan for your property that incorporates the surrounding landscape and the potential of your property to provide a variety of wildlife habitats.

D. Small properties with a few acres

An idea for those motivated more by observing, rather than doing: take a corner of your property — assuming it has no invasive plants — and “do nothing” with it.

  1. Let it be: Letting nature return by simply leaving it alone is one of the easiest and most effective ways of attracting wildlife to your property. Not mowing an out of the way corner of your lawn or field will slowly see it being replaced by native grasses, forbs and shrubs. In time, even trees may begin to take over. All of which will provide excellent habitat for various mammals, amphibians, snakes, birds and insects. This can be a great learning experience for young children. Watch as your children and wildlife habitat grow and change over the years. Photograph and record wildlife and vegetation observations at various stages. You will be amazed how dynamic your “do nothing” experiment really is.
  2. Native plantings: You can also help guide your property to what you would like by planting native trees and shrubs. There are many different places where you can purchase native plants. Nurseries or your local conservation authority can provide advice on which plants to select and where and how to plant them. Choose plants that provide different benefits to wildlife such as shelter and food. Add native trees and shrubs to your yard or a corner of your yard to provide nesting habitat for birds and squirrels. Guides for Southern and Northern Ontario can help you choose beautiful non-invasive plants for your gardens.

  3. A photo of a pile of rocks in a wooded area. This rock pile could provide habitat for a variety of wildlife.

    Rock or brush piles and logs: Create a pile of stones or leave brush piles and logs on the ground to provide a variety of benefits for many different species. Blue-spotted salamanders like to live in the moist, cool soil underneath logs, while ruffed grouse use fallen drumming logs to attract mates. Rock and brush piles provide safe places for small animals and their young to hide from predators, while snakes may use the rocks to warm themselves.

  4. Invasive species management: There are many species of non-native plants and animals that have taken hold in Ontario and are outcompeting the native species, creating ecosystems that do not provide the same benefits to wildlife as native species. These invasive species are very common, especially in areas highly travelled by humans such as roads and paths. Removing invasive species can help restore the ecological function of your property and increase the diversity of life that will use it. Some invasive species can be quite difficult to remove and may take many years before they are all gone. If you can identify these species outbreaks early, you may be able to stop them from becoming an invasion. Once you remove invasive species, planting native plants makes it more likely that the invasive species will not come back.
  5. Floating cover: Ponds can be great sources of diversity on your property. One way to make them healthier is to increase the complexity of the water’s surface. Add or leave logs in the pond to provide a spot for turtles to pull themselves out of the water and bask in the sun. They also provide great cover for fish and frogs that need to hide from predators. Plant cover, in the form of lily pads or thick stands of native grasses and reeds provide great nesting habitat for birds and nursery habitat for young fish.

E. and F. Large properties and farms

Owners of large properties or farms may have more flexibility to provide for wildlife habitat.

Connecting habitat with your neighbours

Connecting habitat on your property with your neighbours and across the landscape is important to the movement and well-being of wildlife. Thinking about connectivity is a good place to start when planning for wildlife habitat. Be aware that farming neighbours may have concerns about habitat features that may facilitate the movement of predators or wildlife damage to crops. Adjoining woodlots, streams and even fence rows provide security for wildlife moving between shelter and feeding areas. This connectivity can also help wildlife recolonize vacant habitat and may help in migration.

  1. A photo of a forest with a clearing. The forest and clearing are composed of a variety of deciduous (broad leaf) and coniferous (needle-like) trees of various shapes and sizes. The clearing is less dense and allows growth of low laying shrubs and smaller plants that often provide wildlife with food.

    Early successional forest: Shrubs and young trees that are a few metres in height are important to a variety of warbler species, ruffed grouse and eastern cottontail. This forest type is now relatively rare in some parts of Southern Ontario where much of the privately-owned forest may be mature. Disturbance such as fire (in the past) or forest harvesting is required to create and maintain this young forest type. To increase habitat diversity on your properties, retire marginal agricultural lands, plant shrub and tree seedlings in open areas or create openings in existing mature forest by cutting small patches of aspen or maple. To maintain the diversity of forest structure, rare species and the aesthetic and ecological value of very mature trees, leave tall white and red pines, big oaks and any eastern hemlocks or Carolinian species. Check with your municipality before cutting any trees.

  2. Wetlands: If you have a low poorly drained area or an existing wetland, consider letting it return to nature by leaving it as is. You may also be interested in restoring wetland habitat. The Ontario Eastern Habitat Joint Venture (ON-EHJV) is a collaborative partnership of government and non-governmental partners coordinated by Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and Climate Change Canada. Partners in the ON-EHJV work with landowners on the conservation of migratory bird habitat, particularly wetlands and associated upland habitats. In addition to providing valuable wildlife habitat, wetlands provide an essential service through ground water recharge, maintaining the water table upon which our rural wells depend.

  3. A photo of grassland habitat surrounded by trees. A variety of grasses and wild flowers are present in an area approximately the size of a football field.

    Grassland habitat: Most grasslands in Ontario are in a state of transition so they will eventually become forests if left undisturbed. Historically, our native prairies, savannahs and grasslands would have been renewed naturally by fire. Consider active management to maintain existing grasslands. Active management activities include:

    • delayed grazing (as part of rotational grazing systems)
    • controlling encroaching trees and shrubs through mowing
    • prescribed burning (done only under the appropriate conditions, policies and approvals)

    These activities should be undertaken every 3 to 4 years and outside of the breeding season of grassland birds. Searching the web for terms like “grassland”, “tallgrass” and “native grassland seed mixes” may provide some helpful information.

    Examples of grassland wildlife species include:

  4. Riparian habitat: Leave a buffer, a strip of area beside the water with grasses, shrubs and trees if you have a creek or stream running through your property. This area, called the riparian zone provides excellent habitat for many species. Plant species in this area are adapted to grow along moving waterways. Their long, interwoven roots help hold the soil in place and reduce erosion. This keeps the water cleaner and supports the health of the plants, animals, and people that rely on it. Buffer strips are a proven and affordable best practice for conserving soil and water quality.
  5. Livestock: Provide alternate water sources for livestock, fence around sensitive areas like ponds and streams, and keep a strip of tall vegetation between the fence and the water to help keep livestock manure out of the water and reduce the likelihood of sediment loading, algae blooms and contamination.
  6. Crop rotation: There are many different ways that farmers can help to increase the environmental benefits of their farms. One of the most effective is crop rotation. Crop rotation has benefits for both the farm and the environment, which can trickle down to wildlife in the area. Thoughtfully select specific crops to improve soil health, reduce soil erosion, and decrease the need for pest and disease control. Leaving fields to fallow occasionally or using them as pasture for grazing livestock, provides habitat for grassland birds and other species that benefit from open grassy areas.
  7. Windbreaks: Rows of trees, shrubs and other plants that separate sections of farm fields are called windbreaks. Their primary purpose is to prevent strong winds from causing erosion that strip away nutrients from the soil, allowing crop yields to increase. They also create excellent habitat for a wide variety of species, and can serve to link larger sections of forest, allowing species that normally would not travel long distances in an open field to make that trek under cover of trees or shrubs where they may feel safer. The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness offers helpful tools and mapping applications which allow users to design and map windbreaks as well as estimate costs.
  8. Delaying haying: Grasslands are a unique Southern Ontario habitat type. A variety of species that once relied on these fields have shifted their habitat from native grasslands to farmer’s hay fields and pastures that could serve the same purpose. Unfortunately for some of these species, primarily grassland birds, the best time to harvest hay from the field is also when the nests still have eggs and chicks in them. Delaying haying can avoid the peak nesting and fledging seasons.

Incentive programs

There are a variety of incentive programs to assist landowners in creating and maintaining wildlife habitat, including:

Do not feed wildlife directly

Finally, it may be tempting to directly feed wildlife in the belief that this will help them out. This is not a good idea for wildlife, for you or for your neighbours. Wildlife feeding can lead to conflicts or contribute to the spread of diseases. Read Feeding wildlife: dos and don’ts. 

If you want to provide wildlife food sources, consider some of our suggestions such as planting a pollinator garden or native trees and shrubs. With a variety of habitats, nearby wildlife will readily find their own food sources which will contribute to their well-being and a healthier landscape.