How to Build a Brush Pile to Attract Birds

Many bird species like to live close to the ground, including eastern towhees, dark-eyed juncos, northern cardinals, wrens and white-throated sparrows. To attract them, you can build a brush pile, which will offer the birds a nesting place, a safe haven from predators and winter protection for those that do not migrate. The decaying wood also attracts insects some birds feed on.

Instructions

1. Find a location for your brush pile, preferably somewhere in your back yard (brush piles are not aesthetically pleasing) and at least 10 feet away from food sources. This will discourage cats and other predators from using it as a hideout from which they can pounce on the birds while they eat.

2. Crisscross some large logs and stumps on the ground, leaving eight to 12 inches between each piece.

3. Add larger brush for the second layer.

4. Add smaller limbs until your brush pile is about 3 to 6 feet tall and wide.

5. Continue to add limbs and branches that fall from your trees throughout the year. Your brush pile is also a great place to toss your Christmas tree after the holidays.

Tips & Warnings

• You can make your brush pile as small or as large as you like. The dimensions given in step 4 are generally believed to be the minimum size. To make your brush pile less noticeable and more aesthetically pleasing, plant bushes a few feet from the pile to act as a barrier between your property, for instance, and your neighbor's. Consider planting flowering bushes, such a forsythia and/or daphne.

• Potential problematic animals such as skunks or snakes may be attracted to your brush pile and even take up residence, so approach with caution.

References

• Fred J. Alsop III; All About Tennessee Birds; 1997.
• John Bull and John Farrand, Jr.; National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Birds: Eastern Region; 1994.

Resources

• Creating a Garden for Wild Rabbits
• Bird Watching: Red-Bellied Woodpecker
• Birds, Squirrels, Chipmunks, and Rabbits in the Garden