I’ve noticed as I’ve gotten older I enjoy the peacefulness of sitting in my backyard listening to the birds. It sure is a lot more enjoyable than hearing the small motors of my neighbor’s lawn mower. Even though I live in a corner lot of a suburban neighborhood we still get backyard birds. We tend to get the common backyard birds and sparingly the rarer birds. My goal is to make a backyard habitat that will hopefully attract all kinds of birds. To attract birds to your yard, you must fulfill the necessary needs for birds to feel safe and welcome. There are some things we do already and some things we are working towards to attract birds to our backyard. Here’s what we are working on:
Provide Food Sources
Feeding birds with a feeder is the quickest way to attract birds. Doing this will get you the common backyard birds and maybe a few rarer species as well. We have a feeder in our yard where we put seeds, suet, and other goodies depending on the season. Putting up a feeder will bring birds to your yard but it won’t encourage them to stay or even live in your yard.
Plant Native Vegetation
Planting native flowers, shrubs, and trees will attract birds to your yard. Not only do they provide a source of food but can provide shelter as well. Birds will perch on the large trees at night and make nests during the mating seasons. During the day, birds can visit your yard and feel safe within the tree. We have a few large pines and maple in our backyard. If the birds are spooked, they retreat into the foilage before returning to our feeder or flower beds. If you’re just starting out, choose native flowers that you love and that the birds will also love!
Native birds and vegetation have coevolved for hundreds to thousands of years. Native vegetation attracts native insects, such as caterpillars. Many birds depend on thousands of caterpillars per day to feed their young. Planting native flowers, shrubs, or trees is a great way to attract birds to your backyard.
Offer Shelter to Attract Birds
While planting native trees and shrubs is a great way to provide birds with shelter, they often are slow growing. In the meantime, we can provide birds with other forms of shelter such as birdhouses. Birds use the houses while raising young. Paired with native vegetation to feed their babies you’ll be sure to attract different varieties of birds. Be sure to clean your birdhouses out when they are no longer in use to prevent the spread of disease.
Provide a water source
Similarly, when creating a habitat in our yards, we need to provide water. Animals need water to survive. Bird baths and even puddles are low-cost, low-commitment water sources. Of course, I dream of having a beautiful pond in our yard but it’s not feasible right now. I’ll stick with adding a small birdbath in the meantime.
With most good things, we must be patient. We can’t expect birds to show up right away. Birds need to feel safe when visiting your yard and they need to have reasons to visit. We can provide the necessary components to attract birds but ultimately we must be patient as they decide to come. I sure can’t wait for the birds to arrive and look forward to identifying as many as I can!
