Attracting Birds to your Garden by Brett Lewis

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Tips On How To Attract Birds To Your Garden

Guest Post By Brett Lewis

Contributor for:  BirdInformer.com

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Attracting Birds to your garden is a fairly simple task. It takes a considerable amount of work to get started, but the payoff of a garden buzzing with birds is sublime. To make birds regularly visit, this article will show you tips on how to attract birds to your garden.

Entice them with Flowers

Planting flowers, shrubs, and bushes around your garden that produces food are one of the most effective ways of attracting birds. Flowers that produce seeds that birds find delectable are:

Sunflowers - Their bright yellow color and the seeds that they produce are enticing to birds. Even if sunflower seeds are not part of a particular bird's diet, they are still quite attracted to its dazzling color.

Daisies - Similar to sunflowers, their bright yellow center and ability to produce seeds that birds can eat makes this a great choice. An advantage of this flower to the common sunflower is that it is not an annual flower meaning it doesn't bloom once then perishes.

Coneflowers - This type of flower is easy to grow and maintain, which makes it a wonderful option for those who do not have that much time to tend to their garden.

You don't necessarily have to replace all of your flowers to attract birds. Birds are also attracted to bright natural colors, so flowers that make non-edible seeds are also an option; they're just less effective.

Entice them with Shrubs, Bushes and Vines

Shrubs, Bushes, and Vines that produce fleshy fruits not only provide bird's food it also provides them with shelter or a place to perch. Here are some examples of Shrubs, Bushes, and Vines that you can plant in your garden.

Elderberry - Even if their raw berries and other parts are considered toxic, they have little to no effect on birds and other animals. A large number of bird species love elderberries!

Winter Honeysuckle - Usually grown as hedges and used as ornamental plants, their red fruits persist throughout the winter giving your garden visitors during those cold months.

Highbush Blueberry - A variant of the wild blueberry. They are taller and have larger berries compared to their wild cousins that birds widely prefer.

Winterberry - Known more as Holly. The vibrant colors it displays, as well as the fruits they produce, make this very enticing for various species of birds. True to its name, it lasts throughout the winter months.

Use Bird Feeders As An Enticement

Bird Feeders are another option to take if you want to draw in birds. This can be a quick way to attract birds in your garden while your plants grow. Avoid filling your bird feeders with cheap bird feed. Most birds do not eat the filler found in cheap bird feed. The best things to fill your bird feeders with are shelled nuts (peeled), suet or, black-oil sunflower seeds.

Further reading: Choosing the Right Bird Feeder

Provide Plenty Of Water

Placing birdbaths in your garden gives birds a place to drink water and clean themselves. Every bird needs a clean source of water, and adding birdbaths will definitely make them flock to your garden making your bird watching experience all the better.

Further Reading:  Choosing the Best Birdbath

Bird Watching Binoculars

Other Birdbath Tips

• Make your birdbath look as natural as possible. A bird would feel more comfortable if it was drinking somewhere familiar. To make your birdbath look natural, place it near the ground, and getting its water to move is a more alluring sight compared to a static birdbath.

• Some birds steer clear from crowded birdbaths. To circumvent this problem, place multiple birdhouses around your garden. It's good to give your birdbaths considerable distance between each other. Placing a birdbath in a shaded and secluded area makes it so that your garden can attract shy birds like woodpeckers.

• Be sure to regularly maintain your birdbaths for dirty birdbaths that will deter birds from using them.
  
  

Give Birds a Nesting Spot

Leaving your gardens plant debris, twigs, fluff, and dead leaves encourage birds to nest near your garden. Grass trimmings are also a popular building material birds use for their nests. Having grass in your garden is a huge plus to incite nesting.

Birdhouses provide a fast solution for birds who are looking for somewhere to settle or rest. Place your birdhouse between 5 to 20 feet. Take note that different height placements of birdhouses attract different species of birds. Lastly, place your birdhouses near foliage or trees to give additional protection and security against predators.

Further Reading:  Great Gifts for Bird Lovers

Conclusion

Having a nice looking garden is great but complimenting it with beautiful birds can be the difference between great and phenomenal! With a little bit of patience, these tips will definitely help you attract birds into your garden.

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Guest Author Spotlight

Brett Lewis is the founder and a content contributor for BirdInformer.com. He is an avid bird watcher and has built a bird sanctuary in his backyard following guidelines provided by the National Wildlife Federation. Additionally, Brett loves to travel and when he does, Brett is always looking for unique and interesting birdlife to write about.

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