How Do I Attract Birds Into My Garden?

A beautiful garden can become livelier and more colorful when you have winged visitors fluttering from branch to branch, and from one vibrantly colored flower to another. A sure-shot way of ensuring their presence is by offering them regular food, home, and security. Birds, like all other social animals, prefer a protected environment where they can live and grow as a community. A reputable landscape designer in Sonoma County will tell bird lovers to plant landscapes for habitat, food, and shelter, keep predators away from the garden, along with installing the occasional natural-looking bird feeders with a variety of seeds and birdbath to attract feathered friends.

Install Bird Feeders

There are various types of bird feeders available on the market. Finding a natural-looking feeder that can easily let out grains is a strong first step. In general, tray feeders attract birds like pigeons, starlings, and sparrows. They come with a screen at the bottom, allowing natural drainage. It prevents bacterial and rainwater build-up within the feeder which can contaminate the grains.

Finches, cardinals, chickadees, and blue jays love the house feeders. Here, the top portion of feeder remains protected, so there is hardly any chance of bird droppings coming in contact with the grains.

Offer a Variety of Seeds and Grains

If you want birds of different species to visit your garden, do not limit your feeders with only one type of grains. Procure good-quality sunflower seeds, nyjer grains, suet, and nectar for birds.

Finches, chickadees, sparrow, and nuthatches like to feed on sunflower seeds. Small birds, like common red-poll, indigo buntings, and pine siskins, prefer nyjer seeds. However, since these grains are tiny, you will need tube feeders for them. Suet is a proteinaceous food for birds made from a cake of animal fat, and covered with seeds. It is suitable for woodpeckers, wrens, and starlings, especially during winter months when food sources are scarce.

Planting native trees, shrubs, and flowers and other climate appropriate plants that will produce food throughout the year especially during breeding season will be especially helpful to native and migratory bird species.

Build a Birdbath

Along with feeding, birds also like to splash around in the water. Installing a birdbath makes your garden a one-stop destination for food and bath. They also drink water from this place, as eating dry grains makes them thirsty. You can also add some rocks to the birdbath to evoke a natural feel, and help them perch. Change the water every two to three days, and during winter, ensure that the water does not freeze. These were some of the ways of attracting birds to your garden. Contact Gardenworks Inc. –the best landscape designer in Sonoma County to design your garden with the right elements to attract native avian life, and make your outdoor space a haven for them and you.