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How To Attract Birds To Your Yard Or Garden

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How To Attract Birds To Your YardHow To Attract Birds To Your Yard Or Garden

If you’re anything like me, once you start feeding the wild birds you’ll become addicted and want to start attracting as many different species as you can. As well as providing great enjoyment and delight, attracting birds to your yard or garden also plays an important role in conservation and providing balance to the ecosystem. So it’s a win-win situation – you get the pleasure and enjoyment from it, while at the same time doing something worthwhile and useful.

And it’s easy too. If you follow some basic guidelines, you’ll soon have a great variety of feathered visitors. These are my top tips on how to attract birds to your yard or garden:

1. Use A Variety Of Feeders & Locations

Not all birds like feeding the same way so make sure you use different kinds of bird feeders. For example, use a mix of open feeders with trays or perches, mesh socks, nectar feeders, suet feeders and jelly feeders, to attract a variety of different bird species. Also bear in mind that more natural looking feeders will attract more birds.

Wild Bird FeederIn addition, different bird species have different preferences when it comes to the location of the feeder. Some birds prefer feeders to be higher up while some prefer them to be lower down. So check the feeding preferences of the species that you wish to attract and locate your feeders accordingly. If in doubt, place them higher up as this is where most birds prefer to feed because it keeps them safe from cats and other predators.

It is also important to remember that birds are wild animals, no matter how beautiful they are, and will be somewhat wary of humans so don’t place your feeders too close to the house if possible. Try and place them somewhere the birds will feel safest. If you are planning on putting your feeder on a pole then try and locate the pole near a tree if possible, to allow the birds to quickly escape if needed.

Finally, you should try and locate your feeders somewhere they will remain dry and are protected from the elements, unless you make sure your feeders are designed to keep water out and withstand the worst of the winter weather in your area.

2. Use The Best Quality Seed

Guide To What Birds EatDon’t use cheap birdseed mixes as a food source. They usually contain milo which doesn’t appeal to most birds and will just get discarded meaning that the birds will eventually go elsewhere and you just end up with a messy lawn or yard.

Pay that little bit extra for good quality seed.

Different species of birds have different food preferences, so once again, first consider which types of birds you want to attract and then put out the appropriate seed. For example, millet is a favorite of small birds while cracked corn is good for larger birds as this is a typical food they eat in the wild.

3. Don’t Forget Other Food Sources

Don’t forget about natural food sources. As well as having feeders in your garden, you should also have natural sources such as fruit trees and other plants that attract birds. In particular, berry-producing shrubs provide a natural food source.

Also remember that birds feed upon insects, so don’t eradicate them from your garden through the use of insecticides or pesticides. You can place some dead wood (e.g. logs) in areas of your garden. These will act as a haven for insects and so act as a food source for the birds. You can hide these dead wood areas out of sight if you’re worried about the appearance of your garden.

4. Feed Consistently

Never let your feeders stay empty for too long; definitely not more than a few days. Birds come to depend on your feeder as a food source but if it remains empty for an extended period they’ll go elsewhere.

Keeping it filled means you also keep it cleaner and better maintained too, which is good for the birds. Once you’ve established a feeding routine try to keep to it as the birds will start to visit your garden at the same times, expecting to be fed.

5. Keep Feeding During Winter

Keep feeding throughout the winter even if you think there are no birds around. There are lots of winter birds that won’t be around in summer that need feeding in the winter. During this time birds need high energy food source to maintain their fat reserves during the cold nights so feed them high fat foods.

6. Protect Your Feeders

Protect your bird feeders from other wildlife, in particular squirrels. You don’t want these other animals to eat all your seed without the birds getting much, if any. Consider investing in a squirrel proof bird feeder to keep those pesky squirrels from stealing your feed. Click here for our review of the most popular model.

7. Put Out The Right Food At The Right Times

Provide the right sorts of food at the right times of year. High fat foods during autumn and winter, high protein foods during spring and summer. Avoid peanuts and fat in spring and summer as you don’t want the adult birds feeding these to their young because there is a choking risk. If you do use peanuts, make sure they’re in a mesh feeder with only small pieces.

8. Keep Your Feeders Clean

Make sure you keep your feeders clean and well maintained so they don’t become clogged. Damp or moldy seed can harm the birds and spead disease so make sure your seed is always fresh and nutritious both to attract more birds and give them a healthy diet.

Never allow uneaten food to accumulate on or around your feeders. If you do have a dirty and/or moldy feeder then remove all the seed, clean the feeder thoroughly and then refill it with fresh seed.

9. Provide Fresh Clean Water

Bird Bath Providing a source of fresh clean water for the birds is very important. Water not only provides the birds with something to drink, it also allows them to bathe and preen, so removing parasites from themselves. In addition, it provides a way for them to cool themselves on hot summer days.

There are various ways you can provide water. You can use bird baths, misters, watering trays and ponds/waterfalls.

If you are going to install a bird bath, try and buy one that has a pump if you can, to keep the water moving. It is vitally important to make sure you prevent the water in the baths from getting stagnant by providing a constant fresh source of water. The pump helps with this, and a moving source of water will also attract more species of birds.

Misters are a great way of providing a way for birds to cool and clean themselves. Hummingbirds in particular love misters and will spend plenty of time hovering in them.

If you’re going to put a pond in your garden, make sure you cover the area around it with suitable plants and ground cover. This will not only make it more attractive to the birds, but will also provide a food source – for example, insects in the ground cover.

10. Provide Housing And Nesting Opportunities

Protecting Birdhouses From PredatorsYou can add bird houses and other nesting opportunities to your garden for the birds. Bird houses not only make decorative items for your yard or garden, they also provide a safe haven for birds to roost and nest. Birdhouses can be species-specific so consider which bird species you wish to attract and then choose your bird houses appropriately.

You can also plant trees and hedges to give the birds somewhere natural to nest. Try and provide a range of heights, for example taller trees at the back, then smaller trees and hedges and then bushes and shrubs.

Conclusion

If you follow these tips on how to attract birds to your yard or garden, it will soon be full of happy, healthy wild birds bringing you great pleasure. And at the same time, you’ll be playing an important conservation role in helping to restore balance to the ecosystem.

For more information on what to feed your birds, see our great guide to wild bird seed and food.

Below is a great infographic that sums up all the above information. Feel free to share it on your site by copying and pasting the code at the bottom.

How To Attract Birds Infographic

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