How to Create a Backyard Habitat for Birds

Landscape your yard to attract wild birds.

Developing a backyard bird habitat invites wild birds to visit your yard, creating an environmentally friendly, bird-watching opportunity. Focus on the needs of wild birds when landscaping a backyard bird habitat, because understanding a bird's basic needs is the key to making a bird-friendly habitat. Birds, like all wildlife, require food, water and cover. The types of wild birds you hope to attract and the size of your backyard are the other main considerations.

Things You'll Need

• Tape measure
• Nursery trees (optional)
• Flowering shrubs
• Ornamental grasses
• Flowers
• Shovel
• Water
• Bird feeders
• Bird seed
• Bird bath, fountain or small pond
• Bird houses

Instructions

1. Measure the perimeter of your yard, and measure the area taken up by any existing trees in the yard. At least 1/4 of the backyard area should be planted in trees to provide cover for birds.

2. If there are not enough trees in the back yard to cover 1/4 of the space, purchase a tree, dig a hole the size of the tree's root ball with the shovel. Set the tree in the hole, replace the loose dirt and water the tree.

3. Plant flowering shrubs, flowers and ornamental grasses to provide ground cover and seeds. Flowering plants will, in addition to shelter, also attract insects for the birds to eat.

4. Fill bird feeders and set them up 3 to 5 feet away from the trees. This allows the birds to eat without being completely exposed to predators. Pole and ground feeders, hummingbird and suet feeders all attract different birds to your yard.

5. Put out bird houses. Place the bird houses a minimum of 5 feet above the ground, in a partially sunny area where predators cannot easily climb.

6. Set up a bird bath, fountain or small pond in a sunny area to provide water.

Tips & Warnings

• If you are planting trees for a backyard bird habitat, plant them on the edge of the yard that is hit first by prevailing winter winds. This provides extra shelter for birds.

• Different types of birds prefer different types of bird food, so research the dietary requirements of the types of birds you hope to attract.

• Avoid hanging bird houses on tree branches, because some predators climb trees to get the birds and eggs.

References

• Michigan Department of Natural Resources: Backyard Wildlife Habitat Management
• Birdhouses 101: When and Where to Set Up Bird Houses.
• Birdhouses 101: Bird Feeders