Tips on Landscaping for Birds

Landscaping for birds takes in more than having one or two bird feeders, or even a bird bath. Landscaping for birds should provide and satisfy the primary needs of the wild bird which includes food, nesting sites, shelter, and water. When your landscaping has the proper plants to fulfill these elements you should attract many popular birds.

Landscaping with local native plants is not only beneficial to you since they need less fertilizer, water, and less maintenance but the local birds  recognize them as excellent shelters and good food sources. Planting exotic plants can be very beautiful to your yard but they may not attract the birds because they are not used to seeing them while the local shrubs, trees, grasses, and flowers are much more inviting. Many species of birds have their own food requirements and they may change the more mature they get or even when the seasons change. Once you know the food likings of the birds you want to attract you can then plant the suitable plants that provide them acorns, berries, fruits, grains, nectar, nuts, or seeds. When you have that water source such as a water garden, pond, or bird bath that has splashing, dripping, or moving water you may even attract some birds to the garden just for a drink or bath.

Generally speaking there are many different species of birds that can live in the same region with different ways of living. A landscape that is bird-friendly to different species will offer multiple layers of plant life for them to use. Some birds look for food in low shrubbery and others prefer rummaging around on the ground. As far as nesting, roosting, and shelter, some birds prefer bushes, others like tall trees and even some of the birds will feed on one level and seek shelter or nest on another level. In order to provide multi-layers of vegetation in the yard, select the plants that have or will grow to various heights and plant them so they will develop into a tier creation. You can encircle your tall trees with medium sized shrubs or bushes and place low flowers or tall grasses around the outer borders. This gives a variety of bird species a place to visit without having to compete for space or feel crowded.

When you have suitable shelter in your backyard environment the birds feel much more safe and secure. Landscaping for birds includes thick areas of vegetation where they can be unseen by predators, such as cats and hawks, and they are able to be sheltered from severe weather. This heavy vegetation is more suitable for nesting and roosting, which will make the birds a permanent fixture instead of just guests that come and go. My backyard has a five foot tall rosemary plant that the birds love to roost and nest during the day and night.

Not all birds like the same types of plants for food; you want to create your landscape with a wide variety of plant species that will attract more species of birds. If you prefer you can also just select specific plants for the particular birds you want to attract or choose plants for birds that already visit your backyard. When you choose a wide range of plants take into consideration the seasons of the year when they are useful to the birds. The early flowering bushes not only attract insects for their nectar but will also attract birds in the spring, bushes and trees that give us fruit and nuts are good food sources during late summer and fall, and evergreen plants not only manufacture seeds and cones but create excellent shelter during the cold winter. If you are able to provide shelter in the winter with your landscaping but not the food you can always use a bird feeder to provide them some seed for nourishment

Since dense areas of a variety of plants is very important for attracting birds a good idea would be to minimize the size of your open, grassy areas. The open spaces do not have as much food and essentially no shelter which not only does not supply enough nourishment but they become more vulnerable to predators. Some excellent ways to reduce the size of these areas is to plant more flower beds or widen an existing one, plant some trees, and add more bushes or shrubs instead of grass. This not only cuts down on your mowing but will attract more birds.

You can still keep your backyard landscape trimmed but if you leave a pile of leaves or discarded trimmings from your shrubs and bushes the birds will be attracted to it because it provides nesting material, shelter, and provides them a wide variety of insects. Another way to attract birds is to let your shrubs and flowers go to seed without removing them; the birds eat the seed and will save you money on birdseed. Hopefully some of these tips will make it easier for you to create some landscaping for birds.