T.O. BIOLOGIST LAYS OUT RED CARPET FOR BIRDS : NATIVE PLANTS BRING FORTH THE BIRDS.

Byline: Enrique Rivero Daily News Staff Writer

There's a simple way to attract a wide variety of birds to your back yard, says wildlife biologist Rick Farris: Just put in a few native plants and watch them swoop in.

Far from making a mess, birds can actually bring dazzling color and rich song to the drabbest, most unadorned back yard and get rid of unwanted pests, too, Farris said.

``Surprisingly they're not that messy,'' said Farris, 39, a wildlife biologist for Agoura Hills-based environmental consulting firm Envicom who lives in Thousand Oaks. ``My own idea is to look at them - they're colorful - a lot of them have really pretty songs that you can listen to.''

And by planting trees and shrubs that attract birds, one can also help the environment, he added.

``The habitats are declining rapidly and you're providing habitats that they might not be able to find elsewhere,'' he said.

Farris, who has a bachelor of science degree in zoology and masters in biology from Cal Poly Pomona, said he has always been interested in observing wildlife, a pursuit he indulged during frequent family trips to West Virginia, Ohio and the Pacific Northwest.

``I think for people like me it's kind of an innate thing - either you have it or you don't,'' he said. ``It's just a fascination with it and how these animals can survive.''

A specialist in avian ecology, Farris first focused on bird-attracting plants about a year ago, when the Conejo Valley Botanic Gardens asked him to list the plants that provide food; shelter where birds can take immediate refuge from predators or weather; cover, where they can stay for the long term; and water.

``There has to be a fairly diverse selection of plants and one of the early steps is to decide exactly what birds are likely to come to this garden and what is the local bird population like,'' he said.

There are dozens of bird species Conejo Valley residents can expect to attract, he said. ``I've had 40 in my own back yard, it's pretty amazing,'' he said. ``But of course, I'm always looking for them.''

And certain trees will attract certain birds.

For example, the toyon - a large, berry-producing shrub - attracts fruit-eating birds such as the northern mockingbird or the cedar waxwing.

The mockingbird in turn will treat listeners to a full range of song. ``They can imitate other sounds, even mechanical sounds and bells,'' he said. ``It's interesting to hear them put that together into a song.''

And with it's smooth appearance, fur-like feathers and crest topping its head, the waxwing can give gardeners something, well, unique to look at. ``They're pretty weird looking,'' Farris said.

The best bug-eaters are the bushtit and the house wren, he said.

Farris himself can attest to the benefits of the insect-controlling talents of the voracious bug-eaters.

``We had a really bad infestation of white flies in our garden, and the birds came through and really cleaned them out,'' Farris said.

The native plants attracting this rich variety of birds should be easy to find, he said. ``I'm assuming from my experience a lot of these things are available, you can find them at a native plant nursery,'' he said. ``They're springing up all over the place.''

BIRD BAIT

Different plants attract different birds. Here are a few suggestions from wildlife biologist Rick Farris to get the variety you want in your backyard garden.

Toyon, a large shrub that produces red berries in the fall and winter, attracts fruit-eating birds such as the northern mockingbird and the cedar waxwing.

Deciduous trees such as sycamores attract the most bugs, which in turn bring in the best bug-eating birds such as the bushtit and the house wren.

The best all-purpose plants which provide cover, food and everything else a bird could possibly want are the lemonade berry and the fuchsia-flowering gooseberry.

Though there are very few plants to be avoided, one type that gardeners may want to think twice about are sages. While providing plenty of food and cover coveted by birds, sage burns easily.

CAPTION(S):

5 Photos

Photo: (1--ran in CONEJO only--color) A blue jay picks u p a peanut in wildlife biologist Rick Farris' garden.

(2--color in CONEJO only) A humming bird drinks from a Mexican sage plant in Farris' Thousand Oaks garden.

(3) Rick Farris says native plants are crucial to attracting avian visitors. He said he's observed 40 species of birds in his own back yard.

(4) Farris' back yard isn't only for the birds; here, a squirrel enjoys a cool snooze on a shady fence top.

(5--ran in CONEJO only) Farris' garden is also home to this homesteading arachnid.

Gene Blevins/Special to the Daily News

Box: BIRD BAIT (see text)