[TN-Bird] Revision of my earlier question about trees and birds

I feel I should probably clarify what my intent was in asking the question 
and to what extent I am referring to birds and trees and their relation to each 
other.

My use of the information would be for submitting reports either to this list 
or to ebirds and also for my own personal information. My learning to 
identify different species of trees is also to help me in reference to any 
future 
field trips  I may take. If somebody tells me a bird is in a locust tree - I 
would like to be able to immediately know which tree that is.

I was referring to birds and their relationship to species of trees in every 
aspect of bird behaviour - Which trees provide food directly to the birds 
(fruits, nuts, buds, etc)? Which trees are favored by birds to build their 
nests 
there? Which trees are used to obtain food indirectly (as in insects that 
inhabit those trees)?

And I guess my question would be is there often a big difference between 
species of trees in that regard? For example, if certain species of birds eat 
the 
berries of a red cedar, do they also eat the berries of a different cedar? If 
they build their nests in a certain species of oak tree, will they also build 
their nests in any oak tree? If they hunt insects on the bark of a shagbark 
hickory, will they often hunt insects on the bark of any other kind of hickory?

I don't intend to use the information to always specify a certain species of 
tree when on a field trip when I'm attempting to point out the location of a 
bird to other birders. It is more likely that they will be pointing it out to 
me and I will benefit from knowing which one is the alder tree they are 
referring to. Rather than knowing all of the different species of alders to 
point it 
out to them.

I think the answer to my question will probably be that it depends on the 
species and perhaps even the circumstances like the season.

What got me thinking about all of this is a book I checked out of a local 
library which advises birders to plant specific plants (including trees - 
especially fruit trees) in their yard to attract certain species of birds. It 
just 
makes sense to me that the presence of the same kinds of trees in a bird's 
natural surroundings could also increase the likelihood of encountering that 
species of bird there as well.

Barry Jernigan
Murfreesboro, Rutherford Co, TN

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