After moving to our condo, the only thing I truly missed from our house was my yard. There were many bird species that visited regularly or when migrating through our area. Here are some tips to make your yard attractive to birds without using bird feeders. Nowadays, many cities have laws against putting up feeders due to worries about attracting vermin. Also, when birds congregate there is a greater chance of spreading disease and exposing them to predators.
The best thing you can do is plant flowers, bushes, and trees, which are native to your area. This greenery will attract the native insects, which birds eat. Also, fruit and nectar from these plants are long-recognized food sources for the birds. An added bonus is that these types of gardens attract butterflies and other pollinators, too.
If it is safe to do so, leave old trees, limbs, or stumps for the birds. These attract woodpeckers and other birds that look for insects under the bark. They may even make nest holes in the decaying wood. In a corner of your yard, if it is big enough, you can create a brush pile. Loosely stack trimmed branches (leaves left on) and plant stalks. It may look untidy, but it will attract the birds. They will find insects or leftover seeds there. Also, it’s a place to hide from predators or to roost during bad weather.
Another bird magnet is water for drinking and bathing. Any type of bird bath works. If it has a deep bowl, add some rocks. Smaller birds are afraid of deep water and the rocks let them get closer to the water. Moving water gets a bird’s attention. There are gadgets that you can place in the water that will cause ripples or even make little fountains. You could go low-tech with a small pail suspended over the bath. Punch out a small hole, fill it with water, and let the drips fall into the bath. Also, birds need water in winter for drinking and bathing. There are heaters you can purchase, which will keep your bath ice-free. Remember to keep the bath clean. I dumped the water daily, because birds leave a mess. Scrub it out regularly, to prevent algae build-up.
My last tip is to be patient. Sometimes, it takes a while for birds to recognize what is in your yard. Once the first bird arrives, the rest will quickly follow. Then, you can enjoy their beauty, learn to identify more birds, and observe their behaviours. I wish you happy, yard birding!
Note: Picture by Janice Carriger from pexels.com.
Great advice! One thing I would emphasize – always think native plants, especially those that provide food (such as berries) in winter. Birds in your areas have evolved to eat them, not exotic stuff from other continents. Lastly, if you have space, build a pond & stream (with a pump to circulate the water) – cleaning is hugely reduced (mostly leaves) and you can fill the pond with native plants.
Not too tidy in the garden helps a lot. Leave the fallen leaves.
Loved the advice, especially the being patient. That’s the hardest part!
Nest-boxes have always been a hit in my garden. Patience not even needed when you hang them in autumn.
Thanks for the helpful tips! I recently moved to a new place, and I’ve been missing the presence of birds in my yard. Your advice on using native plants and water features seems more sustainable than feeders. I’m especially intrigued by letting old trees and branches stay, as I haven’t tried that before. Curious if adding more water features really makes a noticeable difference quickly? For those of us exploring the world and interested in how much bird-friendly items cost in different places, I stumbled upon https://world-prices.com. It gives a bunch of price info, though I’m unsure about how updated it is. Appreciated your insights and looking forward to more articles like this. Happy birdwatching!