Benefits of Birds

If you love to wake up in the morning to the sound of birdsongs and catch glimpses of color flashing across your backyard throughout the day, create a bird garden to attract a wide range of bird species. With the steady erosion of wilderness areas, bird habitat is vanishing on a daily basis. This is causing an imbalance in the earth’s ecosystem and bird species are becoming endangered. By creating a bird garden in your backyard, you will provide a natural habitat for your feathered friends. The benefits to you include natural music, lively flashes of color, comical and unique entertainment and a natural way of ridding your yard of harmful bugs and insects. Birds are the natural predators of grubs, aphids and other harmful bugs and birds can devour them in seconds. Swallows can wipe out hundreds of bugs during morning feeding. Finches, warblers and wrens dine almost exclusively on insects. But in order to turn your backyard into a natural bird haven, you have to create a natural habitat where birds can forage for food, be protected from the elements and predators, find a cozy place to nest and raise their young and have a constant supply of water for bathing and drinking.

What Attracts Birds?

It’s not hard to lure birds to your backyard, but you’ll have to do a bit of research. Visit parks, woodlands and other natural wild bird habitats in your area. Take note of ground cover, plants, shrubs and vines that are native to the area. How many layers of ground cover exist? What types of plants, shrubs and vines grow in the area? Where do most birds congregate? What are the food and water sources in the natural habitat?

Make a Plan

Once you have the answers to these questions, draw a plan of your yard. Include all plants, shrubs, trees and vines, plus your house and out-buildings. Then plan how you can improve the environment by adding a natural habitat for birds. The greater the amount of foliage you’re able to provide, the greater the number of birds that will make their home in your yard and garden.

Research

Research has shown that in order to attract birds to your yard and garden, you need to create a multi-layered ground cover that includes plants, shrubs, trees and vines. Clover, woodruff and a variety of herbs, such as thyme are great ground cover. Chamomile and lady’s mantle are plants that attract insects and bugs that are eaten by juncos, towhees and wrens. Coneflowers and sunflowers attract a large variety of birds such as goldfinches and pine siskin, while chickadees love to hide in the inner sanctum of wisteria vines. Put up an arbor and plant grapevines. Robins will love flocking to this area. They also enjoy jostaberry bushes while nuthatches will gather in vibernum shrubs.

Natural Habitat

If you have a large property with lots of space, plant crabapple, cherry trees, oaks and hawthorns around the perimeter of your property. Fruit trees attract a variety of species and birds will flock to the area when fruits ripen. Gooseberry bushes, holly, currants, raspberries and blueberries will bring robins, thrush and waxwings to your yard. A nice effect is created when a hedge is formed using different varieties of shrubs and trees. Mountain ash, juniper and mulberries are also a food source for birds and provide shelter and branches for nesting. It’s not necessary to plant huge, towering trees to create an arboreal effect. Small trees such as dogwood, dwarf cherry, plum and peach tree, aspens and poplars add appeal to your yard and garden from a bird’s point of view, as well as being appealing to humans.

Be sure to include a variety of perennials in your garden. Use fences and trellis’ to house honeysuckle, wisteria, grapes, ivy, Virginia and trumpet creeper and other climbing plants to provide a place for birds to hide and nest. Ornamental grasses, delphinium, poppies, thistle, asters, liatris and goldenrod produce bird loving seeds. Add flowering annuals close to your house and out-buildings and if space allows, plant taller trees to create an upper canopy to your yard.

A wide diverse selection of plants are essential if you wish to attract birds to your backyard and garden, but they need to be planted in clusters, as that is how they grow in the wild. You will also need to provide shelter and water. Hang several birdfeeders in your yard and supply birdseed, Niger, suet and fruit. Like humans, birds enjoy a diet that consists of a variety of foods. To attract hummingbirds and orioles, make a liquid sugar solution and offer it in a hummingbird feeder.

Feeders

Migratory and songbirds will only remain in your yard and garden if you provide an abundance of food. Several feeders situated around your property with each holding a different type of food will temp birds into making their homes in the plants and trees you’ve provided as shelter and nesting sites. Feeders should be placed within ten feet of a shelter source to ensure that birds have a place to hide from predators, such as neighborhood cats. Platform feeders will provide food for juncos, sparrows and mourning doves. Hopper feeders attract blue jays, cardinals and grosbeaks. Tube feeders are favored by small songbirds such as finches, chickadees and nuthatches. Provide black oil sunflower seeds or white millet for songbirds and ground feeders. Niger is a delicacy that goldfinch, siskin, orioles and redpolls, while bluebirds, tangers and orioles love to feast on fruit and fruit seeds.

Water

Water is an important aspect of the environment for all birds. Add a birdbath or two, a fountain or, if space will allow a pond or stream. If space is limited, add a bubble or container fountain. Water will lure birds to your yard and garden that are not drawn to feeders. The splash of a fountain or the trickle of a stream attracts birds of all species. Even a large pan filled with clean water will attract bird to your yard. However, be sure to change it often to prevent the breeding of mosquitoes and algae.

Maintenance

Attracting birds to your yard and garden also cuts down on maintenance. Forget about raking leaves in the fall, cutting down trees that are dying and hauling away branches after pruning. In summer, dead-head flowers to bring on more blossoms, but once fall arrives, leave them so they will produce seeds that will feed birds throughout the long, harsh winter months.

Brush piles are used by some birds for protection, nesting and resting. Berry bushes that are not pruned and vines that are allowed to grow wild provide nooks and crannies where birds can hide from predators, eat their fill of fruit and rest in a safe environment. Hollow trees are perfect nesting places for bluebirds, owls and woodpeckers. Insect larvae and grubs, as well as tunneling insects live in the bark of dead and hollow trees and are a natural food source for a wide variety of birds.

Leave a few bare spots where birds can enjoy a few rays of sun. This is a great area to create a dust bath. It is also beneficial to leave a few perennial stocks and dead vines when cleaning the garden in the spring. Birds use these for nesting materials as well as dried grasses, pieces of wool, burlap fiber and a variety of other natural items. The more natural materials, food and water that you can provide, the more birds you will attract to your yard and garden.

Success

Once you’ve provided all the comforts of life for your feathered friends, you will notice more species making their home in your yard and garden. Some will migrate in the fall, only to return in the spring. Others, such as chickadees, blue jays and cardinals will take up permanent residence. All you have to do is sit back, relax and enjoy the fabulous show.