5 Simple Ways to Attract Birds to Your Garden

Sep 15, 2020

Are you looking to attract birds to your garden? Bird songs are great for relaxation and helping anxiety. Plus, birds can help control unwanted pests by getting rid of bugs that can harm your plants.

It’s pretty easy to attract birds to your garden. It doesn’t matter where you live; with the right steps, you can have beautiful birds in your yard. The key is to meet the needs of the birds all year round.

Keep reading to find out some simple ways on how to attract birds. 

Why Attract Birds to Your Garden?

Birds eat a variety of insects including mosquitoes, aphids, spiders, and other insects that eat your plants. You can reduce the number of pesticides you use if you have a bird-friendly garden. Some of the best bug eater birds and bugs they eat include:

  • Sparrows: caterpillars, beetles, cutworms
  • Cardinals: grasshoppers, stinkbugs, snails, beetles, leafhoppers
  • Titmice: leafhoppers, beetles, aphids, caterpillars
  • Woodpeckers: weevils, borers, larvae, beetles
  • Bluebirds: beetles, crickets, moths, larvae, grasshoppers, moths
  • Nuthatches: borers, ants, earwigs, caterpillars
  • Swallows: moths, grasshoppers, beetles
  • Grosbeaks: caterpillars, beetles, larvae
  • Chickadees: whitefly, scale, caterpillars, ants, earwigs, aphids
  • Orioles: larvae, beetles, grasshoppers

Birds also pollinate plants. Pollinators create new blooms on your flowers, which more blooms will attract other insects like butterflies and bees.

Birds also help control weeds because they eat the seeds before they sprout. Some of the best seed-eating birds include sparrows, towhees, and finches.

How to Attract Birds

Now that you know why you want them. Let’s go into more detail about getting them in your garden. No worries; you don’t need to be an advanced gardener to have beautiful birds in your yard.

It’s all about meeting survival needs. Birds need basic things to survive.

1. Give Them Food

Fill up bird feeders around your yard. Make sure you buy from reputable sources and have seeds to provide energy. You can try experimenting with different seed mixes to see which the birds enjoy most. 

Don’t put out simple foods like peanuts, bread, and pet food. These are not healthy for a bird and can swell up a bird’s stomach. It’s best to stick with bird seed meant for wild birds.

Most garden stores have birdseed that is formulated for bird species in your area. You can find colorful bird blends, songbird mixes, and other seeds for the type of birds you want, such as suet for woodpeckers.

You should also feed your birds year-round. You may have to fill up the feeders twice a week or more during the harsh winter since the birds may rely on you for food.

2. Install a Birdbath

Backyard birds like birdbaths to clean themselves and drink water. You can actually bring a wider variety of birds to your yard with birdbaths. 

Make sure you choose a birdbath that is easy to clean. If there are too many nooks and crannies, they may be hard to keep sanitary and can get slimy. Be sure to change the water regularly to avoid mosquitos. 

Different types of birdbath materials include plastic, concrete, metal, glass, and ceramic. You can find a birdbath to fit about any price level and style to give your yard a nice focal point. Glazed and copper baths are easier to scrub but can be more expensive.

You will want your birdbath slightly elevated to help avoid predators like the neighbor’s cat. Don’t install it too high because birds do like them closer to the ground.

3. Provide Shelter

When you design your landscape, you want to give birds areas for shelter during the cold weather and places to hide. Birds also need areas to build nests in the spring and summer. This means they like small trees and shrubs with lots of twigs.

You may want to keep one of your landscape areas more natural and not as tidy as others. You want birds to nest in your yard because baby birds’ favorite foods are bugs.

4. Plant Bird-Friendly Plants

In addition to trees and shrubs in your landscape, you will want to plant some flowers that attract birds. The good news is that these plants are usually beautiful with bright, fragrant flowers. 

Some of the best flowers for birds include:

  • Sunflowers
  • Bee balm
  • Coneflower
  • Aster
  • Elderberry
  • Herbs

Most of these plants are pretty easy to grow, so you don’t need a green thumb. You should also have some native plants that follow the rhythm of seasons. These plants are usually low maintenance as well because they grow naturally in your area.

Ask your local nursery or plant store for plant recommendations. Let them know how much sun your space gets and what direction your home faces to find the best fit.

5. Add Bird Houses

You can also add birdhouses to your landscape to give birds a permanent residence. You can find some bright, cheery options that also add some pizzazz to your yard.

You can either hang them from trees, your fence, or porch posts or get a post to put the birdhouse in any location. You can also add one near a window to watch your friends build a nest and see the babies grow. Just make sure it is away from predators.

Birds love houses, but you might not get residents right away. You need to be patient. Once birds set up a nest in your birdhouse, they will likely return each year.

Have Fun Attracting Birds

Birds are fun to watch and can be beneficial to your garden, too. With these simple steps, you can attract birds. Be sure you keep up with the seed in your feeders and also clean out the birdbaths regularly. 

Looking to give your garden a new look? Check out some of our home and garden products to help your garden keep its beauty year-round.

Shopping cart69
collage of 6 hanging acrylic hummingbirds with sunflowers chain ornament in 6 colors
-
+
collage of large blue acrylic angels in 6 assorted styles hanging ornaments
-
+
Spring garden gnome statue and wheelbarrow planter holding pink flowers
-
+
24.8 Tall Polyresin Standing Thai Buddha with Hands Clasped in Prayer
-
+
Tall Easter man statue standing holding a shovel in one hand and a white bird in the other
-
+
Tall large iron Christmas Nutcracker dressed professionally in his Christmas colors with his drum stocks in hands and his drum attached to his waist
-
+
Large iron Christmas Archway with Santa's Elves, ball ornaments, swooping ribbon-like banner with Merry Christmas lettering
-
+
15 inch tall round porcelain pedestal birdbath in peach with hand painted hummingbird and large flower blossoms “Hadley” in front of rose bush
-
+
17 in. Tall Sleeping Fairy Garden Statue "Ivy"
-
+
5.6 Feet tall iron Christmas ornament tower with polka dot, strip and argyle patterns in red, white, black and gold
-
+
image of 3 Large Hanging Purple Acrylic Angel Ornaments in 3 assorted styles
-
+
4 metallic pink flamingo garden sculptures in assorted styles in garden
-
+
full size image of 4 74 inch long garland with porcelain sailor balls and rope in red, light blue and black colors
-
+
Two Birds Sitting on a Stick with Pink and Blue Beads
-
+
extra long iron rain chain featuring jumping fish and bell in antique copper finish
-
+
four foot long galvanized iron reindeer and sleigh decorations with a weathered, antique looking silver finish
-
+
43 inch tall multi-tier blossom shaped birdbath garden stake in antique copper finish with dangling lily-shaped bell
-
+
1 set of two long three piece acrylic cardinal hanging Chain ornament with one in all red and the other in a redish orange and clear color
-
+
A Girl and Boy - Holding a Lantern, Candles- Has two birds sitting at their Feet and they are Wearing Winter Clothing
-
+
Galvanized metal classic Christmas nutcracker figurine holding Christmas gifts
-
+
Halloween decoration of tall metal pumpkin soldier holding out orange candy bowl standing on door step
-
+
Close up image of the country style bronze to brown birdhouse stake with bird perched at the top of the roof and vines growing from the stake to the house
-
+
Children Holding Lighted Lanterns- Petting Reindeer
-
+
“Coffee Time” Retro Style LED Lit Iron Bottle Cap Wall Decor
-
+
4.5 feet tall large 6 acrylic butterfly garden stakes in 5 assorted color combinations with beads on long metal stake
-
+
Metal Dragon Showing its Tails Curled
-
+
3 sections of iron rain chain in copper finish with owl and bell details hanging in garden
-
+
full length image of metal hanging on a chain A-frame birdhouse with round bottom and wind chimes in antique copper finish
-
+
left side of 36 inch long galvanized Christmas train with words HO HO HO flow out the chimney
-
+
96 Long Antique Bronze Iron Rain Chain with Angels
-
+
collage image of five tone hanging acrylic three piece butterfly chain in assorted colors
-
+
45 inch tall iron birdhouse on curved stake with bells in antique copper finish, standing in garden
-
+
Beer - Retro Style Iron Bottle Cap Wall Decor
-
+
20.5 Tall Polyresin Thai Kneeling in Prayer Buddha with Mandala
-
+
Full View of of Iron Nutcracker Holding Baton- In a Red Suit
-
+
extra long iron rain chain with fruits in antique bronze finish
-
+
5.5 Feet tall iron Santa Claus inspired Christmas ornament tower with belt buckles and swirl pattern in green, red and gold
-
+
Front view 15 inches iron pickup truck in distressed red finish with removable Christmas tree in trunk
-
+
full length image of metal hanging on a chain cylinder shaped birdhouse with wind chimes in antique copper finish
-
+
31 inch tall old style iron Christmas water pump in antique red finish and faux snow patches with Merry Christmas sign and bluebirds
-
+
Six Acrylic dragonflies in different Colors
-
+
31 inch tall multi-colored metal Christmas ball ornament yard stake with metallic gold ribbon bow on top in front of light-up tree
-
+
Bottle cork LED string lights inside clear wine bottle between old books turtle and diving helmet clock
-
+
Dragon with Wings Sitting on Grass with Tail Curled
-
+
collage of 6 assorted colors acrylic butterflies with beads hanging ornament
-
+
collage of 6 assorted colors acrylic hummingbirds
-
+
Set of different acrylic hanging dragon fly ornaments with flowers in different colors
-
+
Set of six acrylic sparrow ornament in six asssorted colors
-
+
a Trio of Iron Handmade Giftbox Stakes with Bows and Snowflakes
-
+
20 in. Tall Lying Fairy Garden Statue "Fern"
-
+
Six Acrylic Hummingbirds - in Multi-Colored Finishes with Strings and Beading
-
+
closed up image if iron rain chain with daisies and chimes in antique bronze finish
-
+
6 acrylic hummingbird pot stakes in 5 assorted color combinations with beads on long metal stake
-
+
Full set of Hanging Acrylic Dragonfly with flower in different assorted colors
-
+
collage image of three piece acrylic butterfly chain in 6 assorted colors
-
+
13 Long Acrylic Dragonfly Ornament with Dangling Beads in 6 Assorted Colors
-
+
69
Comodo Trusted Site Seal
Secured By Comodo