How to Attract Birds

A nicely landscaped yard holds aesthetic beauty. Making your yard bird-friendly can add that special touch of nature that only birds can give. Attracting birds into your yard is a fairly easy process once you know what to do.Much like humans, birds have three essential requirements--food, water and shelter. Providing the types of nourishment and shelter birds look for will make your yard a natural habitat. Here are a couple steps to take in making your yard bird-friendly.

Things You'll Need

• Field guide book (regional)

Instructions

1. Identity your region's native bird species. A field guide reference book will give you all the information you need to know about the native birds and plants in your region. Sticking with plants that are native to your region will help maintain your yard as a balanced ecosystem.Different species of birds have different dietary, nesting and shelter needs. Research what types of plants, trees and shrubs provide the environments most sought after by birds in your area.

2. Survey your current landscape. You may already have some of the types of plants in your yard that birds look for, while others may not be suitable. When planning your landscape, try to situate your setting in layers according to seasons, as plants, trees and shrubs provide different necessities for birds as the seasons change.Shaded areas and ground covers serve as protective terrain for birds. Birds tend to shy away from open spaces, like lawns, where there is no place to nest or hide.

3. 

   Plan for well situated water sources. Birds are attracted to the sound of running water. Placing needed water sources throughout your landscape will make your habitat that much more inviting. A fountain, or pans of water placed nearby feeding and nesting areas work well. Also remember to replace the water in your pans on a regular basis to prevent bacteria from settling.

4. Reevaluate your yard maintenance practices. Lopping off dead blooms from flowers might make your garden look neater, however doing so deprives your birds of needed seed nutrients. Also, letting your garden go to seed is best in terms of maintaining a balanced ecosystem.For this same reason, letting leaves turn to mulch instead of raking and discarding them will keep the ground soil in balance as well.

5. 

   Place feeders and bird houses in select areas. Hanging bird feeders and bird houses are another good way to keep birds coming back. Tree branches are the best areas to place feeders and houses in as they provide a protective area for birds nursing their young.Something else you can do to further accommodate your birds is to hang nesting material nearby their birdhouses. This can be a simple mesh bag filled with pieces of string or yarn, pet hair, or small pieces of cloth.

Tips & Warnings

• Don’t try to change everything all at once. This should be a gradual process that spans over several planting seasons.

• Avoid using pesticides at all costs! Poisons in your yard will kill the birds that come to visit. A natural ecosystem balance will eliminate pest problems on its own.

• Setting out suet cakes should be a regular practice if you set any out at all. Birds become dependent on this food source, and can end up starving if not provided on a regular basis.

Resources

• WhatBird – Bird Identification Guide
• Facts About Birds – National Zoo
• Birdhouses 101 – Bird Watching, Interesting Facts & Statistics