Attracting birds to your outdoor space can transform your garden into a vibrant, dynamic retreat full of song, colour, and natural beauty. Whether you’re looking to create a peaceful sanctuary or simply enjoy the calming presence of birds, there are plenty of simple yet effective ways to invite them into your garden. From selecting the right plants to setting up cosy birdhouses, let’s explore some easy strategies to make your garden a bird-friendly paradise.
Brush up on your bird knowledge
Before anything else, it’s a good idea to know what birds are local to your area and if there are any in particular you want to attract. Although birds have the same requirements on a basic level (food, shelter, water, etc), each bird likes and requires different things. Some eat only seeds and berries, others are omnivores, some are solitary, and others stay in flocks or colonies. Doing your research empowers you to provide your local wildlife with exactly what it needs.
Provide food
The easiest way to attract birds to your garden is by providing them with plenty of tasty, nutritious food. It’s a good idea to think ahead to the coming seasons. While planting berry bushes will provide food in the warmer months, consider also providing suet/fat blocks, which can help birds survive the winter. Seeds like sunflower hearts and niger seeds provide a wide variety of birds with the nutrients and protein they need. Mealworms are very popular with blackbirds, starlings, and robins. It’s also a good idea not to cut back plants too much so that birds can forage naturally for their food.
Foods to avoid are…
Desiccated coconut – They can swell up in a bird’s stomach
Cooked oats – These can dry up and affect the movement of their beaks
Multipurpose pet food
You should also consider the maintenance of the feeding stations themselves. Consider having more than one, if you have the space, with different foods to attract different species. Make sure to clean all feeding areas and move them around regularly to avoid the spread of disease.
Provide water
Water is also fundamental to a bird’s survival, so making water readily available in your garden will help to attract birds, too. Bird baths or shallow dishes of water allow them a safe place to hydrate and clean themselves. The water should be replaced often to avoid the spread of disease, and make sure to keep an eye on the water during colder months in case the water freezes over. You could also consider creating a pond in your garden. As well as providing a great place for them to drink and bathe, it will also attract a wealth of other animals and insects to your garden.
Provide nesting places & materials
Another great way to attract birds is to think about what you put in your garden and where. Adding nesting boxes allows birds a place to shelter in safety, and there are a few different options for you to choose from. Small-holed nest boxes are the classic choice, suitable for a large amount of birds. They need to be placed high up on a wall or tree, out of the way of predators. Open-front nest boxes, on the other hand, are great for robins or wrens and should be placed low to the ground for easy access. You can also buy sparrow terraces, which are essentially three nesting boxes in one, which allow sparrows to breed in colonies.
Whichever bird box you pick, they shouldn’t be placed in direct sunlight or in the face of strong winds. You want the birds in your garden to feel as safe as possible, so keeping their shelter out of the path of strong adverse weather is a great place to start. Place them away from windows to keep birds from colliding with them. Also, provide plenty of plant cuttings, twigs, and leaves for birds to nest with. Another way to keep them safe is to avoid garden netting, which birds can get caught in.
Grow bird-friendly plants
Thinking about the plants you grow will also affect the birds that come into your garden. The idea is to provide lots of multi-purpose plants that they can feed on and use for shelter. Trees and shrubs that grow berries and fruits are a really great starting point. Seed-rich plants, like honeysuckle or ivy, are another great option, attracting not just birds but insects for them to feed on and plenty of leafy sheltering space. Shrubbery and bushes give birds a safe place to stay with lots of dense cover. Lastly, planting lots of wildflowers is a great idea. Not only do they brighten up your garden, but the flowers will attract lots of insects for the birds in your garden.
“How do I attract birds if I don’t have a garden?”
No worries! There’s still plenty you can do to help the birds in your local area. If you have a balcony, keep it clean and consider adding some hanging plants and greenery. These will attract insects that birds can feed on. You could even try adding a nesting box if you have the space. There are also feeders available that fit over the railings of your balcony or attach to windows; just check them regularly to ensure they are still secure.
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