European Starling Facts

Starlings are originally from Europe and Asia. One hundred European starlings were were released into New York City’s Central Park in 1890 and ’91 as part of an attempt to bring all of the birds mentioned in Shakespeare’s plays to America. Today, more than 200 million starlings populate the continent and they thrive in cities. The European starling gets its name not from the starry markings but from the way the short, tapered wings make the bird look like a four-pointed star in flight.

Check out the most common birds found in North America.

What Does a European Starling Look Like?

I saw this bird in Boston, and I was amazed by its coloring. What is it? asks Theresa St. John of Saratoga Springs, New York.

Kenn and Kimberly Kaufman: Many people don’t realize just how colorful the European starling can be, but you’ve captured a perfect portrait of an adult starling in very fresh plumage. Those reflections of purple and green are hard to see unless the light is exactly right. When the feathers are fresh, each one has a buff or white tip, creating a spangled look. And each feather on the wing is edged with rich golden brown. Starlings are not native to North America, and they sometimes cause problems for native birds. But since they’re here to stay, we have learned to appreciate their beautiful colors.

Learn how to get rid of blackbirds and grackles at feeders.

This bird was on my deck one winter morning and I can’t identify it. What is my mystery bird? asks Linda Harbour of Wareham, Massachusetts.

Kenn and Kimberly Kaufman: Although it’s not a rare bird, the European starling can be confusing when you see a lone individual in its full winter plumage. Most of us are more accustomed to seeing starlings in large flocks, or during spring or summer when they’re more solidly black. In fresh winter plumage, the starling has a beautiful pattern, with tan edges on the wings and big tan and white spots all over. The spots on this bird are important field marks. The starling’s shape, with spiky bill and short tail, helps to identify it in all seasons.

These pictures will change the way you look at black birds.

Juvenile European Starling

Katherine Marshaleck of Narberth, Pennsylvania, snapped this photo (above) of fledgling starlings. They are pale brown birds, unlike the colorful adults.

Psst—we found more pictures of super cute baby birds you need to see.

European Starling Nests

Starlings are smart, adaptable and tough. Unfortunately, they’ve thrived at the expense of some native birds, taking over cavity nesting sites and nest boxes from woodpeckers, bluebirds and other species. Most birds and their nests are protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, which states that it is illegal to take, possess, import, export, transport, sell, purchase or barter any part of a nest or eggs unless you hold a valid permit. However non-native birds, like the European starling, aren’t protected by these laws.

“Flickers started nesting in our Northern flicker house and the European starlings drove them away. The first year it happened, the starlings were successful hatching young, but an eastern chipmunk entered the house and killed the whole brood. In recent years, the starlings have really been driving the woodpeckers away. European starlings are an invasive species and are not protected by any laws. That allows you to discourage them in any way you see fit,” says birding expert George Harrison.

Here’s how to keep house sparrows out of bluebird boxes.

What Do Starlings Eat?

If you see a starling stabbing its bill into the ground, it’s looking for insects for its next meal. These birds also eat berries and seeds. Highly aggressive when it comes to bird feeders, starlings have a bad reputation. These boisterous birds love suet. It not unusual for them to consume an entire suet cake in one day. Look for starling-proof upside down suet feeders (food is accessible only from the bottom) or set up a suet feeder under a squirrel baffle to deter starlings. More acrobatic birds like nuthatches will still be able to use these feeders.

Starlings actively avoid safflower seeds. Field editor Ken Wellnitz of Davenport, Iowa, says, “I have had good luck using safflower in my yard. It attracts cardinals, finches, mourning doves and other songbirds. But starlings do not like it and they used to rule the feeder at times.”

A few winters ago, we had about two dozen starlings at our feeders at once. One particular bird was adept at protecting one side of the feeder, keeping the others away,” says Mary Baird of Trafalgar, Indiana.

Check out the best squirrel-proof bird feeders and 12 tips that work.

Starling Murmuration

Starlings fly in large flocks and create amazing whirling balls in the sky. This phenomenon is called a murmuration. They may also flock with grackles and red-winged blackbirds.

“There were hundreds of these birds stripping nearby berry bushes one September morning. After I took this photo (above), I was surprised to learn that these birds are young starlings. I’d always thought that starlings only had black feathers. The darker bird on the right is either a female or young red-winged blackbird,” says Melissa Rowell of Vestal, New York.

Raven vs crow: Here’s how to tell the difference.

Do Starlings Migrate?

Many U.S. birders can see starlings year-round, but in non-breeding season some northern birds migrate short distances to warmer southern locations.

Discover the secrets of bird migration.

European Starling Songs and Sounds

The European starling is an incredible singer. Best of all, starlings begin singing in winter, just when it feels like spring will never come. Male starlings can also mimic the sounds of other birds.

Check out the top songbirds in America.

Do Starling Sightings Have Meaning?

Some people say that a starling is a symbol of family or other close relationships. Others see the birds as a sign of unity or cooperation. This may be because the birds are known for flocking together in large groups. In the 2021 movie “The Starling”, Melissa McCarthy plays a grieving mother who is confronted by an aggressive starling as she attempts to revive her garden. Through her encounters with the bird, she begins to heal and learns to fly again.

Raven vs Crow

Bird identification can be a challenge, especially when the species look similar to each other like ravens and crows. Both of these birds are large with black feathers and black beaks, but there are several ways to tell the difference between a raven vs a crow.

Here’s why crows chase hawks.

How to Identify a Common Raven

• Large beaks help ravens pick meat off carrion.
• Common ravens have shaggy throat feathers and thick, long necks.
• With wingspans of over a meter, ravens are much larger than crows.
• A slightly pointed tail is one of the most reliable ID marks.
• Common ravens are typically found only in the North, Northeast and Western United States, but their range is expanding.
• Ravens tend to travel solo or with a partner.
• Listen for the raven’s low grumbling sound.

Check out 9 fascinating facts about common ravens.

“I took this photo at the Grand Canyon West Rim in November 2019. It was a beautiful clear day. After I ate lunch I was gazing over the canyon and saw this picturesque trio of ravens. I could not resist taking this photo,” says Jacqueline Fanion.

Learn which species are America’s smartest birds.

How to Identify an American Crow

• A multipurpose beak allows crows to eat nuts, berries, insects and occasionally small animals.
• Crows weigh a little over a pound, a fraction of a raven’s weight.
• Look for a fan-shaped tail when a crow flies overhead.
• Range can help you identify a raven vs a crow. American crows live in most states. If you’re in the Great Plains, Midwest or Southeast, the big black bird you see is probably a crow.
• Crows tend to flock in larger groups.
• Crows make a high-pitched caw sound.

Is this white bird an albino crow?

Next, discover 10 interesting facts about red winged blackbirds.

Common Raven Bird Habitat and Range

Thanks to their ingenuity, common ravens survive and do well in all kinds of habitats—from tundra to Texas heat. You’re most likely to see these birds in the North, Northeast and and Western states. Common ravens have been moving into cities in recent decades. They thrive in some downtown areas of the West, like Phoenix and San Francisco. The stately raven may even be seen perched on neon signs in Las Vegas. Here are seven other places you can find them:

• Beach
• Forest
• Mountains
• Desert
• Grassland
• Tundra

Common Raven Bird Size and Wingspan

Ravens are large black colored birds. They can be up to 25 inches long with a 50-inch wingspan. Raven vs crow: Here’s how to tell the difference.

Common Raven Nests and Eggs

Ravens seem to mate for life and raise only one brood a year, which includes between three and seven young. Learn about 8 different kinds of bird nests and how to spot them.

Ravens Are Solitary Birds

Ravens are usually alone or in pairs during the daytime. If you see more common ravens together, it’s probably a family. Discover interesting facts about red winged blackbirds.

Common Ravens Are Highly Intelligent

Common ravens are some of the smartest birds on the planet, along with these other three cousin birds in the corvid family: crows, magpies, and jays.

Ravens Appear in Literature and Pop Culture

The famous poem, The Raven, by Edgar Allan Poe was first published in 1845. The DC Comics character Raven is a member of the Teen Titans. In the National Football League, the Baltimore, Maryland, team is called the Ravens. Check out our favorite sports team bird mascots.

Raven Birds Live at the Tower of London

King Charles II believed England would fall if there were no resident ravens at the Tower of London. Today, seven birds are kept on the grounds. Learn the difference between European robin vs American robins.

Common Ravens Also Live in Canada

According to the conservation program, Partners in Flight, roughly 18 percent of the 20 million raven birds in the world live in Canada. Meet the Boreal birds of the Northwoods.

What Do Ravens Eat?

Common ravens will eat almost anything. Twelve things they have been known to feast on are:

• Mice
• Baby tortoises
• Eggs
• Grasshoppers
• Beetles
• Scorpions
• Fish
• Dung
• Grains
• Buds
• Berries
• Pet food

Vireos are often heard but seldom seen. This family’s members are found all over North America in the warmer months, and about a dozen vireo species are widespread north of the Mexican border. Their songs are among the most familiar sounds of late spring and summer, but the birds are actually very good at staying out of sight among the foliage. It’s worth the effort to get to know this melodic bird family.

Check out 8 types of orioles to look for in North America.

Treetop Singers

Red Eyed Vireo

The red eyed vireo is a noteworthy summer bird found across the eastern United States and most of southern Canada. Although it is widespread, it hides high in trees, moving slowly among the leaves. Plain colors—olive above, white below, with just a couple of black stripes on the face—make it even harder to spot. But a red eyed is easy to hear, because the males sing almost incessantly in late spring and summer, even on hot afternoons.

A red eyed vireo’s song is a series of short, whistled notes separated by pauses. The swee?…sooyup… sissewit…swiswi… sounds like a choppy version of a robin’s voice and goes on and on. An old nickname for this species was “preacher bird,” perhaps applied by someone who thought the Sunday service dragged on too long. Red eyed vireos live mainly in deciduous forests, but they are heard in towns and suburbs with enough mature trees.

Warbling Vireo

The warbling vireo, all grayish and white with a pale eyebrow, is plainer in appearance than the red-eyed. In summer it’s found in woodlands from coast to coast, but like the red-eyed it spends the winter deep in the tropics. Its song is very different. As the name suggests, the male makes a short, musical warbling, not a series of separate notes. He sings all day, even when he’s sitting on the nest incubating eggs. The nest, as with most vireos’, is a shallow cup, often suspended in a twig’s fork.

Discover 8 different kinds of bird nests and how to spot them.

Species with Eye-Rings

Blue Headed Vireo

Some vireos are more boldly marked, with contrasting wing bars and bold eye-rings that resemble a pair of glasses. One example, the blue headed vireo, spends the summer in the mixed forests of eastern Canada, northeastern states and the Appalachians. It wears a colorful pattern, with blue-gray head, green back, yellow on the sides, and white throat and chest.

Cassin’s and Plumbeous Vireos

The Cassin’s vireo of the Pacific Northwest looks like a duller version of the blue-headed, while the plumbeous vireo of the Rockies has a similar pattern but entirely in lead-gray and white. At one time, all three were classified as the same species called the solitary vireo. All three sing short, whistled phrases like the red-eyed, although the western ones have a rough, husky undertone.

Yellow Throated Vireo

The yellow throated is even more colorful and is found during the summer in eastern oak forests, especially in the southeastern states. Its bright yellow throat and yellow eyeglass-like markings are quite distinctive. The short phrases of its song have a hoarse, buzzy quality, and its slow, lazy cadence is perfect for hot summer afternoons.

Hutton’s Vireo

The smallest of the spectacled type is Hutton’s vireo, a year-round resident of oaks along the Pacific coast and in the Southwest. Tiny and active, it’s sometimes confused with the ruby-crowned kinglet, a completely unrelated bird. Hutton’s is drab gray, and it may have the most monotonous song, just a single slurred note repeated over and over.

Vireos That Stay Low

White Eyed Vireo

Not all vireos dwell high in the trees. Some prefer dense, low cover close to the ground. Thickets in the southeastern states ring with the quick, snappy songs of white eyed vireos, sometimes written out as chip-o-de-white-oak! or pick-up-a-real-chick! Eventually this bird may come out to the edge of the shrubbery to look around, its staring white eyes giving it a surprised expression.

Bell’s Vireo

Another thicket dweller, found mostly in the Southwest and Great Plains, is the drab but active Bell’s vireo. Its song is a clinking cheedle-cheedle-chee? cheedle-cheedle-chew!, as if the Bell’s was asking and then answering the same question over and over.

The Rarest Species

Black Capped Vireo

One of the most beautiful is also the rarest of the group: the black capped, with its black hood, white spectacles and red eyes. A scarce summer resident of scrub oak thickets in Texas and southern Oklahoma, its numbers have declined due to loss of habitat and the impact of cowbirds laying their eggs in vireos’ nests. Conservation work by the U.S. Army at Fort Hood, Texas, has helped to sustain good habitat for this bird.

How to Attract Vireos

Unfortunately, vireos almost never visit bird feeders. In spring and summer their diet is almost exclusively insects, especially caterpillars, so the best way to attract them is to have plenty of native plants in your yard and to avoid using pesticides that would kill off the insects the birds need to survive. If you have room to plant trees, oaks native to your area are a good bet for supporting them.

Before they migrate south in late summer and early fall, vireos consume many berries. Native dogwoods, elderberries and Virginia creeper are among their favorites. Even the treetop dwellers come down to eye level to feast on these fruits.

Another way to lure migrating vireos is to provide water. A shallow bath with a source of movement, such as a dripper or small fountain, may be just the thing to catch their attention. Check out the best bird baths and fountains for attracting birds.

However you attract them, it’s worth the effort to make the acquaintance of these secretive but reliable songsters.

Next, discover 15 types of hummingbirds found in the United States.

How to Get Rid of Cinquefoil

“What’s this vine and how can I get rid of it?” asks Patti Baker of Grove City, Pennsylvania.

This North American native plant is commonly known as cinquefoil (Potentilla simplex). You can find it growing in prairies, forests, savannas and landscapes that have been altered by development. It quickly spreads through stolons (stems that creep along the ground), making it suitable as a ground cover. On the other hand, it’s a difficult weed to manage.

If this vine is taking over your landscape, remove the cinquefoil plants, stolons and all. Then monitor the area for any new plants that sprout, picking them as they pop up. Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense) is another aggressive, noxious weed to watch out for.

See the worst invasive and poisonous plants to avoid in your yard.

How to Get Rid of Epipactis Helleborine

“What’s this shade plant in my lawn?” asks Paula Crouterfield of Gaylord, Michigan.

This mystery plant is actually a weed that’s invading many flowerbeds and landscapes in Michigan, Wisconsin and a few neighboring states. Known as broad-leaved helleborine or weedy orchid (Epipactis helleborine), it spreads by both seeds and rhizomes, which are basically underground stems. 

(Psst—check out 30 common weeds and how to ID them.)

This unwanted plant is aggressive and difficult to control. Dig up the entire epipactis helleborine plant—roots, rhizomes and all—when it is flowering. Then dispose of it. The plant’s energy is focused on producing flowers and seeds then, so the hope is that it will be easier to eliminate.

A total vegetation killer is another option, but several applications will be needed. Spot treat according to label directions. This will minimize the amount of chemicals used and reduce risk to other desirable plants and the environment.

Next, learn how to make your own natural weed killer with vinegar and dish soap.

If you have plants, you’re probably wondering how to get rid of slugs and snails in the garden. Even if you may not see them often, they make their presence known by eating up to six times their weight in plant material per night. These mollusks can leave plants looking like Swiss cheese. Although they’re most active in the evening, it is possible to combat the pests any time of day with these simple strategies.

Here’s how to get rid of the 10 worst garden insects.

1. Beer Traps

Use beer to get rid of slugs and snails! Bury tuna fish cans or plastic yogurt cups in the dirt up to their rims, then crack a beer and fill the containers (the older and more stale the beer, the better). Slugs and snails are attracted to the yeasty aroma, then fall in and drown. Replace the beer as needed.

Got holes in your leafy greens? You have cabbage worms.

2. Course Moats

Add an inch of coarse sand, diatomaceous earth (look for it online or at garden centers), or eggshells in a 3-inch-wide band around plants. In dry weather, the slimy creatures won’t cross over the sharp material to get to their buffet.

3. Ash Barriers

Slugs and snails avoid wood ashes because of their alkalinity, so in the garden you can distribute wood ashes from the fireplace (but not charcoal, which may contain chemicals). Over time, ashes can increase the pH of soil, so use sparingly.

Check out 11 pictures that will change how you see bugs.

4. Copper Bands

It’s not cost-effective for a large number of plants, but place copper bands around prized plants that are vulnerable to attack. When slugs slither across the copper bands, the moisture in their slimy trails sets off an electrical shock, keeping the pests from continuing their journeys up the stem.

Learn how to get rid of indoor plant bugs.

5. Environmentally-Safe Baits

Iron-phosphate baits are considered safe for other animals but deadly for slugs and snails. The pests eat the bait, stop feeding and die within a few days. According to the Oregon State University Extension, iron-phosphate baits are just as effective as metaldehyde baits but are not toxic to wildlife or pets. Some brand names include Sluggo or Garden Safe Slug & Snail Bait.

Check out more natural ways to eliminate garden pests.

6. Pick Slugs and Snails Off Yourself

Use a flashlight to hunt for snails and slugs in the evening, about two hours after sunset. If you’re searching during the day, look in shady, damp areas and beneath leaves and garden debris for the pests. When you find a slug or snail, shake some salt on it-—the deadly ingredient dehydrates the pest. Or pick it up and place it in a jar filled with soapy water.

Meet 4 beneficial insects you want to see in your garden.

7. Attract and Get Rid of Slugs and Snails

Set a trap by placing boards in shady areas of the garden where slugs and snails hide in the daytime. Lift up the boards and scrape off the pests. You can do the same thing with inverted grapefruit rinds in problem areas. Turn them over in the morning, scrape out and destroy, and enjoy your pesticide-free garden with fewer slugs.

Discover 7 natural ways to keep bees and wasps away from hummingbird feeders.

Other Pest Solutions

Use these simple and easy techniques to keep your yard safe from bad bugs and pesticides.

• Dislodge aphids, mites and spittlebugs with a blast from the hose.
• Shake the base of a plant to remove adult Japanese beetles and drop them into a soapy jar of water.
• Destroy plants that have scale. Other than small-scale infestations, it’s usually easiest to just get rid of the plant.
• Encourage lady beetles to visit and eat aphids and spider mites.
• Remove larger pests like squash bugs and tomato hornworms from plants and dispose of them. Tomato hornworms grow to be sphinx moths so some gardeners chose to put up with the damage they cause.

Most of us see backyard butterflies fluttering in bright sunny gardens but, occasionally, you’ll find groups in unexpected places like a patch of mud, sandy riverbank or a DIY puddle station, which is called a butterfly puddler. Butterflies need sweet nectar from gardens to give them energy, but they also need the nutrients from these soggy areas.

How to Create a DIY Butterfly Puddler

Help butterflies, especially during dry weather, with a DIY backyard butterfly puddler spot.

1. Find and fill a shallow dish or container with soil or sand. Add a few flat rocks to provide perching spots.
2. Pour enough water in the container to moisten the soil, and sprinkle some salt on the surface. Also set out overripe fruit like bananas and oranges.
3. Keep the soil moist during the heat of the day, when butterflies are more likely to visit.

Follow these tips for watching and photographing butterflies.

What Is Butterfly Puddling?

Butterfly puddling is when a butterfly visits and gathers nutrients from a puddle, usually as part of a larger group. A closer look will reveal they are likely males.

“Male butterflies, just like any living creature, are trying to ensure they reproduce,” explains Ryan Fessenden of the Florida Museum of Natural History’s Butterfly Rainforest. “One of the ways they do that is by passing on nutrients, along with genetic material, to the females when they are mating.”

When butterflies mate, males transfer a spermatophore to the females. Think of this as a tiny package that holds just about everything a female needs to produce healthy fertilized eggs. These spermatophores can be very large relatively, making up as much as 10% of a male butterfly’s weight. Part of the package includes nutrients that help support the female butterfly’s health, making her offspring more likely to survive.

“Male butterflies gather those nutrients by drinking water from wet spots on the ground, collecting various minerals and nutrients such as sodium and amino acids,” Ryan says.

Follow the stages of the monarch butterfly life cycle.

Where Do Butterflies Puddle?

And it’s not just the mud that attracts butterflies. Like other animals, butterflies need salt in their diet, and they find it in some very unexpected spots. “You may find a butterfly seeking out these valuable nutrients in other unusual locations, such as in tears on a crocodile or in sweat on human skin,” Ryan says. They’re also drawn to less savory items such as decaying flesh and excrement. There’s even a group of moths in Central America that puddle on blood.

Off-putting as it may seem, these behaviors are vital to their survival. That’s why you may see huge swarms of dozens or even hundreds of butterflies when a good puddling spot appears. “The more males that can gather nutrients, the more success the species will have reproducing,” Ryan says. “So when a wet spot or puddle is found by one, other butterflies will notice and join in.”

Check out 10 beautiful butterfly pictures you HAVE to see.

Which Butterflies Use a Puddler?

Any type of butterfly can use a puddler, but it’s most common in members of the swallowtail family (like these common swallowtails you should know), sulphurs and whites. In particular, look for tiger swallowtails, red-spotted purples, white admirals, cabbage whites, and clouded and cloudless sulphurs at butterfly puddlers. They are all there for one reason—to ensure they survive and thrive for many generations to come.

Next, check out myths and facts about butterfly host plants.

Sandhill Crane Migration

1. During migration, 75 percent of the total population of sandhill cranes can be found along a 75-mile stretch of the Platte River in Nebraska. Check out more birding hotspots for spring sandhill crane migration.

Sandhill Crane Nest

2. Both parents build a nest from cattails, sedges and grasses, but it’s unknown which parent chooses the nesting site. Nests can be up to 40 inches across and 6 inches high. Learn about 8 different kinds of bird nests and how to spot them.

Sandhill Crane Eggs

3. A female sandhill crane usually lays two pale-colored eggs with brown markings. She shares incubation duties with her mate for up to 32 days. Meet the best bird dads around.

Baby Sandhill Cranes

4. Sandhill crane offspring can be ready to leave the nest and even start swimming just eight hours after they hatch. Although the chicks are independently mobile, they will stay with their parents up to 10 months after being born. Check out more adorable photos of bird mothers with babies.

Prehistoric Birds

5. A sandhill crane fossil that was found in the Macasphalt Shell Pit in Florida and is estimated to be 2.5 million years old. Fossils found on the central flyway in Nebraska date back even further.

Do Sandhill Cranes Mate for Life?

6. Sandhill cranes mate for life and attract their partner via a courtship dance with moves like jumping into the air, bobbing their heads and stretching their wings to span up to 7 feet. Check out sweet photos that show how birds flirt and attract mates.

Sandhill Crane Flying

7. During migration, these cranes may travel more than 200 miles a day. They’re fast fliers, reaching speeds of up to 35 miles per hour. Learn about bird migration patterns that have changed.

What Do Sandhill Cranes Eat?

8. Cranes are large birds, but don’t be afraid of them. Most of their diet (90 percent) is plant material, including waste grain, roots, berries, and nuts. Insects and snails are on the menu, too.

Next, learn about 10 egrets and herons found in North America.

Summer storms or heavy wind and ice often damage trees across the country. Homeowners need to know the best ways to clean up after a tree is damaged and how to restore trees in their communities. From watching the light flicker through a tree’s green canopy in summer to enjoying the falling cascade of red, yellow, and brown leaves in the fall, trees enrich our lives in many ways. Storms can damage or destroy long-living trees and the memories they carry with them. Here’s what you need to know about tree storm damage.

What Happens After a Storm Damages Trees?

When a tree is damaged by a storm, tornado, hurricane, or another type of disturbance, it not only affects the immediate area, but also the surrounding trees.

“Trees are usually very resilient to damage,” says University of Illinois Extension horticulture educator Ryan Pankau. “But when a storm or disease takes out parts of a tree, it exposes the other trees in the area differently, and you may see damage to them years down the line.”

After a disturbance, sunlight can now reach the understory. This exposes the soil and creates opportunities for new plants to fill those gaps. Those gaps can be filled by younger trees or plants, but also by less desirable plants, such as invasive weedy species. And, a thinning tree canopy from storm damage can reduce a tree’s capacity to filter wind.

“Trees with thicker canopies act like a sail during high winds,” says Christopher Enroth, Illinois Extension horticulture educator. “But when thinned, small, new branches have a very weak attachment to the tree itself, making it less stable overall.”

Check out the best types of evergreen trees and how to care for them.

How Should Homeowners Respond to Tree Storm Damage?

After the storm has passed, make sure the area is safe. Avoid areas with downed power lines, as they may still be active and are very dangerous.

The first thing to do is clear out the obvious broken, hanging limbs. Then, look at the angle of the leaves on branches still attached to the tree. They will give away tree limbs that might be broken and could fall later.

“The next course of action is to have a tree care professional or a certified arborist assess the damage,” says University of Illinois Extension Extension Forester Chris Evans. “They’ll make sure no pathogens have leeched into the trees after they’ve been damaged and to properly prune them.”

Pruning cuts off any stubs or chunks off a broken limb to seal the wood and help avoid rot that can slowly kill a tree over time.

“Trees don’t heal, they seal,” says Pankau. “Trees don’t regenerate tissues like humans. They will just grow around the wound and lock it into itself.”

Find a list of certified arborists at Treesaregood.org and search by zip code.

Check out the top 10 quick growing trees for your landscape.

What to Ask an Arborist About Storm Damaged Trees

Every summer, Extension offices get calls about trees after a storm. Here are some common concerns:

• Despite the storm damage, is the tree healthy with good growth?
• Did the trunk experience significant damage? The vascular tissue of a tree resides directly behind the bark. If this critical tissue is severed, a tree cannot move water and nutrients through its system.
• Are major limbs broken? The larger the lost limb, the harder it will be for the tree to seal off that wound.
• Is the tree desirable, or is it prone to problems? Sometimes storms present opportunities to replace a problem tree.
• Is the overall shape of the tree still intact? For instance, if a white pine loses the central leader, the tree will lose its pyramidal shape and become a hazard in the future.

Discover 8 types of Christmas trees you can grow.

How to Prevent Tree Storm Damage

Rural areas

In a forested setting, trees provide stable ecosystems and create habitats for all types of wildlife, including squirrels and cavity nesting birds. A healthy forested area needs to have a wide diversity of tree species. This is also important to follow the recommended stocking rate, or density of a forest. This stops undesirable trees from growing in the understory. Try these alternatives to invasive shrubs.

“Since you can’t go out and prune every tree on your property, it’s important to remove overcrowding and invasive species so you can achieve a healthy, flourishing ecosystem and provide habitats for critical organisms,” says Evans. These efforts not only keep a forest healthy, but also strengthen the woodland’s resilience against disturbances.

Urban areas

Trees are meant to grow near other trees and not individually like most urban settings. To maintain the health of trees, it pays to have a certified arborist inspection done every few years to make needed pruning cuts. To prevent damage, arborists can also apply cables and bolts.

“However, with enough wind and enough force, no amount of pruning or inspection is going to stop that tree from coming down in a bad enough storm,” says Pankau. “Still, arborists can sure stack the odds in your favor.”

Here’s the top 10 trees and shrubs with berries for birds.

Why Should You Replace Trees?

When trees are knocked down, it can change a community. Wildlife no longer has a place to nest, children lose a place to play, and homes are no longer shaded from the summer heat.

Trees provide a lot of unappreciated services in the background. They create habitat for insects, birds, and other native wildlife, and take up water which reduces flooding. They also increase air quality and trap carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, to slow the rate of global warming. In the warmer months, trees that shade homes will reduce energy bills and in the winter months, bare branches allow sunlight to heat homes.

Of all green spaces, trees seem to have a special impact on people’s mental health. Research from University of Illinois has found that when people have experiences with nature, they’re healthier, happier, learn better, and have stronger social ties. Green spaces are also tied to lower rates of depression and anxiety disorders.

“We, as humans, are meant to be in nature. When you put us in an environment that takes it away, we behave and feel badly,” says Pankau.

Psst—don’t miss these amazing nature photos.

How to Select New Trees

“The most important thing to consider when replanting trees after a storm is diversity,” says Evans.

Planting a variety of new trees, especially native trees, recreates a natural ecosystem, and leads to fewer pest issues, diseases, and invasive species.

Replacing damaged trees with native ones will add to the biodiversity of that area, letting insects, birds, and other organisms flourish in a healthier ecosystem. A study published in the journal Ecological Entomology in 2020 found the displacement of native plant communities is the main cause of a collapse in insect and bird populations around the world. To see if a tree is native, check at the USDA-approved hardiness zones located on the plant tag or online at planthardiness.ars.usda.gov.

Research specific species to see if it would be a good fit for your landscape and ask a certified arborist for verification. Some species, such as oak trees, have a competitive advantage. Compared to shady beech and maple trees, oak trees will take 40% to 60% of the available sunlight to compete with other plants and leave other species to die off.

Follow these 5 essential steps for tree planting success.