Throughout the colder months, millions of weed seeds cover our flower beds, lawns and fields; millions more lie beneath the thickets and woodlands. Of course, one's definition of "weed" is a bit subjective but even naturalists agree that the seeds of invasive, non-native species are unwelcome components of our ecosystems.
Fortunately, many birds and small mammals consume "weed seeds" and thus play a major role in the control of these plants. In the Midwest, juncos, cardinals, mourning doves, house finches, American goldfinches and a wide variety of sparrows scour the ground for these morsels of energy. Even more are consumed by the huge flocks of starlings, grackles and red-winged blackbirds that roam the winter landscape.
Come spring, there will be plenty left to diversify the foliage but, thanks to the diet of our resident wildlife, their numbers will be kept in check. This natural control is surely preferable to the wholesale use of herbicides, a practice encouraged by the chemical industry!
