Welcome these beautiful pest eliminators into your garden by providing food, shelter, and water. Attracting birds to your garden can be fun & educational.
There are a set of barn swallows that like to perch on the chimney cap of our house every evening. Their sweet sounds drift down and entertain us, and it’s become a nightly ritual to take a minute and listen to the swallows.
The other good thing about swallows? They feed on bugs while they fly around above my backyard. Let me tell you, there are a lot of bugs in Texas, and as far as I’m concerned, those swallows are most welcome in my yard.
Birds can play a vital role in your garden’s ecosystem, and they act as pest controllers of everything from snails to aphids. Other reasons to attract them include:
Flower pollination –
Hummingbirds are great examples of how birds can also help pollinate your garden. Birds and other species pollinate the flowers in your garden by spreading their nectars, causing the flowers to bloom bigger and brighter.
Weed control –
Sparrows, finches, and other birds eat weed seeds, eliminating the unwanted plants without hours of backbreaking work for you.
Hours of fun and education –
Observing backyard birds is a unique opportunity to study local wildlife, and attracting birds all year round gives backyard birders the chance to see seasonal plumage changes, migration, courtship behavior and nesting.
Stress relief –
Watching birds, interacting with them, listening to their songs and taking the time to work outdoors improving their habitat can help relieve stress and promote well-being
See the post 9 Reasons to have birds in the garden for more ideas.
Provide Habitat
It will take more than adding a few bird feeders and filling a birdbath to attract birds to your yard. A bird-friendly landscape should fulfill all of a wild bird’s basic needs, including:
- food
- shelter
- water
- nesting sites
With these keys to the right habitat, your backyard can attract a wide range of popular birds. Landscape with native plants and layered vegetation, that way various birds can use different areas of the available habitat.
If you would like to introduce young people to nature, attracting birds to your yard can be the first step, and it’s something the whole family can share. Nearly 80 percent of wildlife habitat in the United States is private land, and several million acres are converted to residential use each year. Having a bird-friendly yard has never been more critical.
Follow these tips from Melissa Mayntz, Birding/Wild Birds Expert – When you are planning a bird-friendly landscape
- Choose natural and organic fertilizers that will not harm birds, or remove feeders for a day or two after using chemicals.
- Minimize pesticide use and let the bugs be a rich bird food source instead.
- Add water features, birdhouses, dust baths or feeding stations for even more bird attractors.
- Get your soil evaluated to be sure the plants you select will thrive, also choose plants suitable for the amount of sun available in your yard.
- If you are hiring a landscaper, let them know you wish to attract birds and work closely with them to design a suitable bird habitat
Provide Food
How do you know what the locals like to eat? Most grocery stores will have a bird mix specific to your area. Keep it simple and start with a mix that includes sunflower seeds, canary seed, hemp and husk-free oats. A small bag will run you around $5.
Invest in an excellent book to help identify the birds in your area. Local bird guides will provide information about the recommended food for each species.
Don’t forget to sterilize feeders regularly, perhaps even weekly during peak season. Taking time to remove the moldy seed from feeders will reduce the risk of spreading diseases. Clean them more frequently when there are lots of birds in your garden and when you suspect that some are sick. A build-up of bacteria from old food can kill birds.
A Word About Feeders
There are several types of feeders to choose. You can hang feeders from hooks or tree branches. You can attach them to poles. I’ve even tried a feeder on my window. (this is the one I have: Window Bird Feeder with Detachable Tray
I have only found a couple of drawbacks to the “on window” system. First, it brings the birds onto our deck, so if we are sitting outside the birds will most likely not visit the feeder. Second, if I choose to move it away from the sitting area, I will need to climb a ladder to refill the bird seed because all of my windows are high off the ground. Plan in advance, so you know where you want to place your window bird feeders.
It took the local birds about two days to find my new feeder. I was initially worried that the birds would hit the window or be scared off if they saw us, but that hasn’t happened at all. They fly right up and take what they want. It holds a reasonable amount of food so I won’t have to change it more than once a week.
Bird feeders also come with an anti-bacterial coating
Provide Water
While food is a great way to attract birds, they also need to have a place to drink. Try to offer a fresh, clean source of water that is easy for birds to reach and safe from predators. Many birds will also use baths for a quick dip to keep cool and keep their plumage in top condition. If you live in an area with severe winters, a heated bird bath will also help bring in winter bird species.
Visit the Cornell Lab of Ornithology for an extensive database to search for the birds you see in your garden, and you can even get the Merlin Bird App for your phone and identify them -on the fly.
As you can see, just a bit of effort will provide big rewards. What are your reasons for attracting birds to your garden?
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I love having birds in our yard just because they’re fun and beautiful- I’m happy to know the benefits, too! Thanks. 🙂
Thanks for stopping by Jami, I love your website, it’s one of my favorite!
I love watching birds out my window! I think my favorite to watch are the hummingbirds, but they only come around so often and only for a few seconds at a time. Kind of a bummer, but they are so pretty! I would love to get a nice garden with some flowers and a birdhouse one day! What flowers do you recommend for a beginner gardener?
Hi Chase, I’m partial to perennials myself, I like that I can plant it once and enjoy it year after year. I found an article from Penn State about attracting hummingbirds to your yard with perennial blooms. It also gives you insight into the best soil for each flower so you can pick what’s best for your yard. I hope you find something to bring those hummers to your yard every day! http://extension.psu.edu/natural-resources/wildlife/landscaping-for-wildlife/pa-wildlife-6
We have a hummingbird feeder in our yard, and my wife loves to watch them fly around. I thought it would be really cool to have a lot of different birds around, and thought about getting a birdhouse to help. It’s good to know that a bird-friendly landscape can actually help birds with shelter, and nesting sites.
I never would have guessed that attracting birds to your garden could be so beneficial. I like how you explained that birds can help to get rid of squirrels and other animals. I hope this article can help my mom to know how she can improve the look and quality of her garden.
Thanks Rockford!
I had never considered watching birds as a way to relief stress. After reading this article, it makes sense why it can help someone forget menial problems and appreciate the beauty of nature. My mom likes to put seed on her deck to attract birds. I’ll have to ask her if she does it for this reason.
I had no idea that 2.1 million acres each year is turned into residential use. After reading this, I can see why it would be important to create a habitat where birds are able to thrive and live. My mom likes putting out seeds for the birds during the spring and summer months. I’ll have to ask her if she has considered putting water out as well to invite more birds.
I’m so glad you mentioned that tip about sterilizing the feeders regularly. Like you said, cleaning them will reduce the risk of spreading diseases! I’ve heard that having more birds in your garden can be helpful because they’ll eat bugs that could ruin your plants. Is that true? I’ll have to keep this info in mind as I consider putting in a new birdhouse in my garden!
My wife and I have recently purchased a new home with a big backyard. We have been discussing potential ways we could improve the area. I didn’t realize that birds were able to act as pest controllers by eating snails and aphids. That’s something that could definitely help our yard.
Started out with one feeder and I was hooked. Now have three feeders, a bird bath and some houses. Shrubs have been planted too. The birds love to take cover in those. So relaxing and enjoyable to watch them and listen to their chirping songs. A stress relief. They’re wild animals-yet it’s fun to see the same ones come back and enjoy the garden again and again. For under $100, or less (depending on the feeders and bath you choose) you can bring nature into your yard.
I like your advice to attracts birds with water features, birdhouses, dust baths, or feeding stations. This would be a great way to bring them to a yard and make them want to stay so they can get rid of unwanted insects. You’d probably want to make sure you get items that are designed to satisfy large amounts of birds, like a two-story birdhouse, and then place them somewhere that is easy to access.
I didn’t realize that birds actually eat weed seeds. That could be really beneficial for weed control in my garden. My wife and I are trying to find ways to keep our yard in good shape, and we are thinking about putting a bird house or two in. If having birds around really helps this much, we will definitely have to pull the trigger on it.
My wife loves nature and gardening. It’s a really good way for her to relax on the weekends since she works in such a competitive field. I like that you mentioned that not only will birds help control pests, but that their presence can relieve stress by their singing and general beauty. I feel like adding a bird house and some fresh water features could really benefit our yard. I’ll have to see what she things, but I feel like anyone wanting to improve their outdoor space should really look into buying a bird house for their space.