Birds are a must-have in any yard. They offer natural bug control (including bees and mosquitoes), lovely songs, and an educational experience for both children and adults. It’s also a lot of fun to keep track of how many various kinds of birds you can invite into your yard.
Many people have a bird feeder or even a bird bath. However, there is much more you can do to welcome birds and improve your land as a wildlife habitat in general. Do you want to know how to attract birds to your yard? I have the tips you need to turn your home into a birding paradise.
1. Create a Bird Feeding Station
Making a bird feeding station will meet your birds’ most fundamental survival need – food! To attract more birds to your yard, consider establishing a bird feeding station with many feeders rather than putting up a single feeder.
Different birds will prefer one feeder style over another, thus the variety will provide your birds with the benefit of choice. Cardinals, Juncos, and Blue Jays are all ground feeders, but will also use a strong hopper, whereas finches and nuthatches prefer hanging cylindrical feeders.
You should consider locating your station in a location where you can see it all year and where your birds will be safe. Different bird species feed at different levels, and the ideal feeding station will reflect this.
Begin with at least three or four feeders, placed at various heights and with a range of feeder types to give you the best opportunity of attracting birds to your yard. The more feeders you have, the more birds will flock to you.
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2. Lure Them With the Proper Treats
Because different birds eat various things, giving them a choice is not only a tool for enticement, but it also helps them acquire the essential nourishment they require to stay healthy.
Black Oil Sunflower seed is a great place to start because it attracts a variety of songbirds such as Blue Jays, Cardinals, Grosbeaks, and chickadees. But don’t stop there; provide your birds with a variety of seeds and berries to attract the largest range of wild birds. Smaller seeds, such as nyjer or millet, will attract birds such as nuthatches and finches that aren’t fans of sunflower seeds.
Suet cakes are another fantastic option that many birds will enjoy, particularly species that require high-energy, easily digestible food, such as woodpeckers, chickadees, and wrens. In addition to seed and feed, many birds enjoy other goodies such as peanuts, almonds, and nectar. When you pair each with the appropriate feeder, you’ll be able to attract a diverse range of species.
Simple Foods to Feed Birds From Your own Kitchen
Apples
Slice them up and remove the seeds. Alternatively, cut them in half, scoop out a portion of the fruit, and fill with sugar water before skewering one on a feeder to attract hummingbirds.
Bananas
Remove the peel from the bananas and cut them in half lengthwise to offer to the birds.
Cereal
Plain cheerios, bran flakes, corn flakes, and toasted oats with fruits and nuts are popular with birds.
Before feeding the birds cereal, crush them up. As a result, they will have no difficulty eating the large chunks.
Eggs and Eggshells
Bake clean shells for 15 minutes at 250°F. Crush and place in a dish, or mix with birdseed. They are an excellent supply of calcium for egg laying.
Melon, Pumpkin, and Squash Seeds
First, roast the seeds in the oven. Use no salt or seasonings.
Nuts
Many birds are drawn to peanuts, as well as other nuts such as almonds, pecans, and walnuts.
You can feed the birds either perfectly crushed nuts or whole nuts.
Don’t feed the birds nuts flavored with spices or coated with candy.
Offer the birds only raw or roasted nuts with no additional salt or flavors.
Raisins
Soak raisins in warm water beforehand to soften them and make them easier for birds to bite.
3. Put the Feeder in the Right Place
When it comes to attracting a diverse range of birds to your yard, the location of the feeder is critical. When it comes to visiting feeders, different birds exhibit varying behaviors. While some birds prefer to fly in from across the yard, with a clear shot right to the perch, others are frightened off by a feeder that is too exposed.
Place your feeders in a variety of locations to cater to diverse bird interests. Cardinals, for example, are known to be shy and prefer natural cover. Try putting one or two feeders near a huge shrub or bush that will provide them with the protection they require.
Feeders should be placed off the ground and at a sufficient height so that birds do not become sitting ducks for predators such as cats. Remember that certain birds might get territorial over feeders. To counteract this behavior, space feeders at least 3 to 4 feet apart to give birds more space.
4. Set up a Bird Bath
Bringing birds to your yard is about more than just having a consistent food source. All birds want water, so create a bird bath to attract more birds to your yard by providing a water source.
While a basic birdbath is a good place to start, updating your birdbath and water features, such as a solar bird bath, is a guaranteed way to attract more birds. Most wild birds are drawn to the sound of moving water, and curious species will come from vast distances to investigate.
To attract more birds, consider several water sources or several bird baths. A steady water source will be a significant lure, and a single source may become congested, so consider numerous water sources or several bird baths. This allows you to create varied water conditions, such as static, moving, or misting, to appeal to different species.
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Thanks for reading!
I hope some of these ideas encourage you to be creative for a stunning new bird sighting right in your own yard. If you have any other ideas for attracting birds to your yard, please share them in the comments area below!
Sources
Bird Feeder Hub
Birds & Blooms
Birds Advice
House Beautiful
The Spruce
World Birds
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