How to Attract Birds to Your Garden

By Mary Balzer

Birds are fascinating to watch, and birding is the fastest-growing recreational activity in the U.S. Boulder County is no exception! Birds are also necessary components of balanced ecosystems, no matter if you live in the mountains or on the plains, in a suburban neighborhood, or in the foothills. More and more gardeners are realizing the importance of attracting birds to their gardens.

Boulder County hosts more than 300 species of birds in its various habitats, including the migratory birds who call it home only in the spring and summer, such as the Western and Mountain Bluebird and the Green-tailed Towhee. The most common birds that thrive here are: chickadees, robins, magpies, Northern Flickers, sparrows, nuthatches, finches, House Wrens, grackles, jays, Red-winged Blackbirds, Mourning Doves, crows and ravens, some owls, hawks, falcons, eagles, and our resident geese and ducks.

Many birds species are insect or invertebrate-eaters, from flies, aphids and mosquitoes to caterpillars and worms. So the smart organic gardener will want to attract birds who will help keep the insect population down during the growing season. You will also enjoy being in your garden much more if flying insects are not “bugging” you! Birds are natural insect repellants.

If you want to make your garden attractive to birds, there are four resources that are essential that any habitat must supply for them: food, water, shelter and cover, and nesting sites.

Food

You will want plants, flowers, and trees and shrubs that will supply the widest array of foods for the greatest diversity of birds. Grow plants that supply berries (sand cherry, currants, gooseberry, chokecherry), fruits (crabapple, cherry), nuts (acorns, pine nuts), nectar for hummingbirds (hyssop, penstemon, delphinium–particularly wildflowers with the red blossoms), and seeds (native grasses, native sunflowers) for the seed eaters such as sparrows and finches. Try to plant the widest variety of plants for the different things they produce at different seasons of the year, as some birds will eat different parts of a plant at different times, and they depend on good food sources especially when they are building nests, producing eggs, and feeding their young, and migrating.

Note: Bird feeders and grocery/hardware-bought bird feed are okay, but consult a specialty bird retailer about the best products to buy. Supplemental feeding is most helpful to our resident birds in the winter and for the migratory birds that are passing through our area in the fall.

Water

If you can provide a source of water for drinking and bathing, you will see an increase in the number of birds in your garden. A birdbath is the easiest way to provide water, and it doesn’t have to be fancy. A simple terra cotta or plastic plant saucer will do the trick—just be sure to place it sheltered from strong winds, where it will not get too warm at midday, and near shrubbery that will provide shelter from predators. Birds like the water depth at no more than 3”, and need a slightly rough surface to get a foothold when they land and wade. You can heat your birdbath during the winter with an electric, submersible rubber heater, and during the summer, change the water daily to avoid molds and bacteria build-up. Birds also love moving water, such as sprinklers, dripping faucets, and bubbling and re-circulating streams and fountains. Geese and ducks tend to like large bodies of water, but if you are lucky enough to have a pond or stream on your property, you may have them visit once in a while.

Shelter and Cover

Birds need plants to provide shelter from wind, sun, and precipitation, and foliage cover can protect them from predators such as free-roaming cats and hawks. Birds also need places to roost and sleep. A tall canopy, mid-height shrubs, and smaller bushes and plants provide those things, depending on the birds’ needs at the time they visit your garden. It is also a good idea to leave snags and uprooted trees, wind-blown leaves, and brush piles in your yard or around the garden, as they provide good shelter from sun and predators, and insects for food. If you feel that bare limbs and piles of pruned brush are unsightly, consider planting vines to grow on them, such as Virginia creeper or clematis.

Nesting Sites

Different birds need different nesting places, and by providing a variety of locales in your garden, you will attract a bigger variety of birds. You can provide grasses and low foliage for ground nesters; some build their nests in shrubbery, others in tall tree limbs and cavities, and still others prefer tree trunks, ledges on buildings, walls, fence posts, and hedgerows. The wider variety of plants you have, the easier it is for birds to find natural materials for building nests.

Note: Only birds who normally use holes in trees for nesting, including chickadees, nuthatches, wrens, bluebirds and some swallows will utilize a birdhouse if you choose to erect one in your garden. Consult your local bird specialty retailer for the best kind for different species. Keep it away from the feeder, face it away from the prevailing wind, and hang it so that it is protected from predators. Keep the hanger short to prevent too much swinging.

So, think about attracting birds as you plan and plant your garden. You will reap the benefits as you enjoy their singing, their antics as they feed and bathe, their beauty as they fly in and out of your yard, their dedication as they sing for a mate, nest and raise their young, and you will share their joy in the return of spring each year!

References

Attracting Birds, Sunset Books, Menlo Park, CA, 2000.

Colorado Wildscapes, Bringing Conservation Home. Audubon Colorado, Westcliffe Publishers, 2005