8 Simple Steps To Attract Wild Birds To Your Yard
Creating a garden that’s buzzing with activity is a great way to enjoy nature as you sit or take a walk in your garden, these types of gardens will provide hours of fun for kids as well as watching birds in their natural habitat. While going on a nature walk in the wild is great you can bring the wild to you by making your garden irresistible. A project such as this is great for the whole family.
Bird watching is a hobby that is enjoyed by many and has its rewards including learning the different names of birds so if this sounds like you then continue reading as we take our journey into how to attract wild birds to your yard.
1. Creating a colorful garden with native plants
In order for your yard to attract wild birds, plants must be installed and not just any plants but plants that are native. Native plants will attract birds along with being easier to maintain. Plants that are not native require more attention such as pest/disease management etc…
When installing native plants ensure that you use flowering plants which are brightly colored because birds are attracted to bright colors. Don’t just stick with one type of flowering plant but use a variety of colors. Flowering plants that produce colors of yellow, orange, and red, etc… are known to capture a bird’s attention.
2. Providing several bird feeders
Providing several bird feeders can attract more birds to your yard, two or three bird feeders are ideal. Some foods to consider adding to your bird feed are:
- Kaytee sunflower seeds
- Lyric sunflower kernels
- Thistle or Nyjer
- Millet bird feed
- Seed mix
- Black-oil sunflower
It is important to keep your bird feeder clean because a dirty bird feeder will harbor mold, bacteria, and other disease agents which can negatively impact a bird’s health. A bird feeder can be cleaned by taking it apart and washing in 9 parts hot water and 1 part diluted bleach, once washed rinse thoroughly with clean water and allow to completely dry before refilling with fresh food.
3. Installing a birdbath with moving water
Birds are attracted to moving water so installing a feature such as this will catch the attention of your feather friends. Birds love to bathe because this action removes oil and dirt along with adding in preening (making them beautiful).
4. Providing natural shelter
Installing natural shelters such as large shrubs and trees will help wild birds to feel secure from the elements and predators along with providing a place to raise their young. Ensure that the trees and shrubs that are chosen are native, a good idea to also consider is installing trees that produce nuts, fruits, seeds, nectar, and berries. Some of these trees to consider are as followed:
- Pine
- Ash
- Hackberry
- Maple
- Fir
- Madrone
- Chokecherry
- Dogwood
- Spruce
- Crabapple
5. Providing a birdhouse or two
Providing two or three birdhouses in different parts of your yard will also act as a safe haven along with increasing the number of birds. It is also good to clean the birdhouse once the bird has left and no longer returns to the nest after the breeding season has come to an end. Giving your birdhouse a spring cleaning will help to discourage rodents, bacteria, insects, and fungus.
This spring cleaning will also help in making the house look attractive, the house can be cleaned by removing old nesting material and scrubbing the house with one part bleach to nine parts water. Once scrubbed rinse the house thoroughly with clean water and leave open to completely dry.
6. Keep your cat/dog out of your garden
As much as you would love for fido or fee-fee to accompany you when bird watching in your garden, fido or fee-fee may have a different agenda which is not admiring your guest or feathered friend but seeking to make a meal out of them, therefore, it’s important to keep your furry friend out of your garden.
7. Avoid using harmful pesticides
Harmful pesticides are a no-no that can harm wildlife, introducing natural predators which are also known as biological control is a great and safe way to bring garden insect pests under control.
8. Installing a perching stick
Perching sticks is a great resting place for birds so consider installing one in your yard.
The advantages of bird watching
- Enjoying a different scenery
- Brings a restful feeling
- Spending time with family and friends outdoors
- Taking in that fresh air
- Can help with mental alertness
- Bird watching can help to lower your stress level
- Bird watching will not cause you a dime except for your time
- Bird watching can help you to connect with nature
- Can help you to learn the different names of birds
- Birds may even provide a tune or two for you as a reward
- Bird watching will inspire a love for nature
The final word on how to attract wild birds to your yard
Attracting wild birds to your yard or garden area is that simple, by following these easy steps. Bird watching is a fun activity and will provide hours of enjoyment and the best part is that all of this can happen from your yard. Join the many homeowners who are turning their yard/garden into a natural habitat and create lasting memories that will last a lifetime.
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About the author
Norman loves being in the garden, both at home and for his job....
he is 'Natures Little helper' being outdoors, growing his vegetables and flowers from an early age.
Now having spent over 22 years in the profession he want to give some of his knowledge to others...
his vast array of hints and tips you will find scattered over this site will help you no end growing plants in your garden.
Hello Norman,
what a useful article about how to attract birds into your garden! However we have the opposite problem because we don’t want birds to be in our garden because they eat all the fruits before they’re even completely ripe for us to pick.
Our neighbor has bird feeders, so there is always an abundance of birds in our area and my husband is getting crazy about it. though we like them because they also eat all the mosquitos during the summer. How we wish they’ll only eat the mosquitos and not the fruits!
I am so sorry to hear that but what you can do to keep birds away is to install motion sensor sprinklers, covering the canopy of fruit trees with fine mesh netting, use sound repellers, using decoy birds, hanging shiny objects in fruit trees that reflect the sun rays like aluminum foil cut in strips or giving them options like installing one or two bird feeders that will distract them from your fruit trees. Hope this helps.
Hi Norman, I’m pleased to meet you. I have gone through your post of How to Attract Wild Birds To your yard, and I find it very important and interesting. I agree with you a hundred percent that bird watching is a fun activity, and will provide hours of enjoyment and the best part is that all of this can happen from your yard, as you outlined. This is helpful, thanks for sharing.
So good to meet you and I am so happy to help, bird watching is amazing providing hours of fun. Let’s get out there in nature by making our yard home for wild birds.
When the winter is over and the spring is coming, I enjoying the work in my garden. I have a big yard and love to plant seeds and flowers. And I see that little birds are coming to me. Thank for those tips, I think that I will make birds house to attract more birds, because I love to hear them when they sings. And I think that I will make with my hubby a little fountain. You give me a great ideas to spend more time with my family.
Springtime is so wonderful because that is when nature awakens from its long sleep, I am so happy to help and wishing you all the best of success!
Very true Norman, watching these birds sing, hearing the sparrows’ clanking sound, gazing at the parrots’ screech voice, dazzling at the flight sound of the eagles with their strong feathers, etc can really be a hobby and most importantly a leisure time and a tool to take away stress especially in a time like this.
Just as you explained especially on the aspect of Creating a colorful garden with native plants, creating moving water for birds to bath, and providing natural shelter for attracting birds, did you also know these strategies are very helpful to our health? Natural shelter, trees, and moving water like a waterfall are capable of producing anions that when consumed tend to fight or neutralize radicals (which are detrimental to our health) in our body.
Thank you for this wonderful post, Norman.
Hello, watching nature can be pretty relaxing and amazing and is also great for our health. I believe that we should all take advantage of nature and get as much of the outdoors as possible.
Hi Norman. Thank you for great article. I never thought about it before but it would be great to have wild birds visits in garden. Contact with nature is extremely relaxing and possibility of watching wild birds would be not only fun but also educative experience. Looking forward to test your advices in practice, and I hope I will see first visitors soon.
Making your garden a home for wildlife is pretty amazing as it is very educational and provides hours of fun. So happy to help and wishing you the best with your wild bird garden.