How to attract Bird to your backyard

Birds

Bird Nesting

All birds need food, water, shelter, and breeding space to survive. Providing nesting materials and shelters in the existing area can be a strategy to attract birds. Enough food sources can also play an important role in attracting birds to nest. Spring is the most common nesting time for birds. 

Birds use twigs, leaves, bark, hair, mud, thread, and grasses to build the nests. Usually, these nests are used only for raising young birds and used only once. Birds prefer to select an area where can be well hidden and in dense foliage.  Providing birds nesting material may help to attract birds to the area. Birds may select the suitable material to build nests. As a garden manager, you should leave materials over trees or shrubs near bird sheltered spots or food sources area where birds may build nests. 

It is a good idea to leave a small mud area for birds to use. Some birds will use mud as a  “glue” to stick the materials they collected to build their nests. Human hair and animal hair (pets, horses) are soft and insulating material for birds to use. If possible, collect some human hair or animal hair, then cut them in 4-6 inches lengths. Then hang the hair on the trees. 

Don’t use pesticides, fertilizers or other potentially toxic chemicals in a garden. The US Fish and Wildlife Service reports that 72 million birds are killed by pesticides in the United States each year. Some pesticides may kill earthworms, which can reduce the natural food source for birds. Some may come in granular form, which may be strong enough to kill a small bird. Some may reduce the number of chicks that hatch successfully. 

Shelter

Dense shrubs provide safe nesting space for birds to shelter in bad weather. During the winter time, evergreen trees and shrubs are needed for birds. Common birds shelter include trees, shrubs and scrub brush piles. It is important to provide shelter at different levels for birds, because they prefer both high and low shelters. More dense planting area is popular with small and medium bird species. For larger birds, they prefer perches where they can scan nearby areas for predators and other dangers. Shelters should be built near feeders since birds can quickly retreat if they feel threatened while feeding.

Building a brush pile is a fast way to provide winter shelter for different types of birds. To build a  brush pile, choose both large and small branches to form the bulk of the brush pile with plenty of air spaces for roosting and keeping warm. Using evergreen trees for extra shelter and protection. Keeping the brush pile away from children, because the sharp branches may hurt them, and the noise from children may scare birds. Figure 3 shows the steps to build a brush pile.

Water

Water is one of the most important features to attract birds in a garden. Birds use water  for preening and drinking. Water is difficult for birds to find in winter. Much of a bird’s energy is wasted searching out open water sources in winter. A bird bath heater is suggested for birds use in winter, which can also be used in summer. It not only helps the birds, but also increases the variety of birds visiting by providing a bird bath heater in the Literacy Garden. 

Food

Providing natural food sources is an ideal way to attract birds to avoid constantly refill feeders or purchasing seed. It is expensive to plan the best bird-friendly landscaping, but choosing plants to provide food for birds may actually save money in the long run. Some open areas are desired for ground-feeding birds (mockingbird, blue jay, hummingbirds) but should have nearby shrubs and trees for ready cover. During the nesting season, birds will consume a large number of insects.