Attracting birds to your yard can provide many benefits beyond their beauty and songs. Certain bird species help control pests, pollinate plants, and improve the overall health of your garden and landscape. With a little effort to provide food, water, shelter, and nesting spots, you can invite these hard-working birds to take up residence. Here are 12 of the best birds to have in your yard and how to attract them.
Birds for Pest Control
Inviting insect-eating birds into your yard is an organic way to keep pest populations down. Their appetites can help reduce or eliminate the need for chemical pesticides. Here are 5 birds that make great natural pest control for your garden and landscape.
1. Bluebirds
With their bright blue feathers and melodious warbling, bluebirds are a joy to have around. They also feast on insects like beetles, grasshoppers, crickets, and caterpillars. Bluebirds like open areas interspersed with trees, so allow some open grassy areas and avoid dense shrubs. Put up bluebird boxes for nesting. Provide a shallow water dish and a branch or platform feeder with mealworms.
2. Chickadees
These endearing little birds actively hunt caterpillars, aphids, scale insects, beetles, and more. Support your chickadees by allowing dead trees to remain for nesting and feeding. Offer black oil sunflower seeds in hanging or platform feeders. Supply suet cakes for extra fat and protein.
3. Nuthatches
Nuthatches probe into bark crevices searching for spiders, beetles, caterpillars, ants, and other hiding insects. Keep trees healthy to encourage nuthatch visits. Put up nest boxes with very small openings. Offer shelled sunflower seeds, peanuts, and suet.
4. Warblers
Many warblers are insectivores, feasting on aphids, caterpillars, leafhoppers, beetles, spiders, and more. They glean insects from trees and shrubs, so plant a variety of native plants. Supply bugs like mealworms at platform feeders. Add water features for bathing. Limit pesticide use so their food remains plentiful.
5. Sparrows
Different sparrow species eat insects and seeds. For example, white-throated sparrows scratch through debris gobbling up beetles, ants, caterpillars, grasshoppers, and spiders. House sparrows eat insects in summer and seeds other times. Provide native plants, brush piles, platform feeders, and water.
Birds for Pollination
Butterflies aren’t the only pollinators in town. Flower-visiting birds also play an important ecological role in plant pollination. Here are 4 birds that move pollen from flower to flower as they collect nectar and insects.
6. Hummingbirds
No other bird can hover and dart like a hummingbird. They have special tongues to lap up nectar as they visit flowers in search of food. Their wings beat up to 70 times per second, allowing excellent maneuverability. To attract hummingbirds, plant tubular flowers in red, orange, pink, or purple. Set up hummingbird feeders with sugar water. Provide low perches.
7. Orioles
The bright orange and black Baltimore oriole and related species frequent flower blossoms for nectar. They also pluck insects from the blooms. Orioles prefer open woods or partially wooded backyards. Offer nectar feeders, orange slices, and grape jelly. Plant nectar-rich flowers and fruiting shrubs or trees.
8. Tanagers
Summer tanagers, scarlet tanagers, and others eat insects from foliage and flowers, moving pollen in the process. They favor semi-open areas near woods. Allow both open and wooded spaces. Cultivate seed-producing flowers for their young. A water feature provides drinking and bathing areas.
9. Finches
Goldfinches visit thistle, sunflowers, zinnias, coneflowers, and other blossoms to eat seeds and small insects. Other finches also frequent flowers. Attract them by planting annuals, perennials, vines, and shrubs that produce abundant seeds. Evergreens provide nesting sites.
Bonus Birds for General Yard Health
Beyond pest control and pollination, other birds contribute to the overall biodiversity and health of your yard through seed dispersal, nutrient distribution, soil aeration, and other benefits. Here are 3 great additions:
10. Jays
From acorns to seeds to nuts, jays will cache all kinds of plant materials in your yard. Their forgetfulness leads to germination and new growth. They eat insects, clean up carrion, and aerate soil while digging. Jays prefer mixed woods and access to water.
11. Woodpeckers
In pursuit of insects, woodpeckers drill cavities that later serve as nesting sites for other birds when abandoned. They also help distribute nutrients by moving them from trees to ground level. Attract woodpeckers with suet feeders, peanut butter smeared into pine cones or bark crevices, and nest boxes. Let dead trees remain.
12. Wrens
These tiny dynamos eat insects from trees, shrubs and garden plants. They build nests in holes and cavities, dispersing seeds within. Wrens like brush piles, loose debris, and dense shrubs or hedges. Provide nest boxes, twig bundles, natural food sources, and water. Say goodbye to pesticides so their food supply remains intact.
Attracting Birds to Your Yard
Taking a few simple steps can turn your yard into a bird magnet. Here are some top tips:
- Provide food. Stock feeders with preferred seeds, suet, mealworms, sugar water, fruit, and nutritious treats. Include platform feeders, hanging feeders, ground feeders, suet feeders, and hummingbird feeders.
- Supply water. Set up a birdbath, fountain, mister, or other water source. Position it near trees or shrubs for bird protection and comfort. Change water daily to avoid mosquitoes.
- Offer shelter. Birds need places to hide, nest, and get out of the elements. Leave some brush and leaf litter. Include evergreens, dense shrubs, brush piles, and flowering vines. Put up nesting boxes suited to species you want to attract.
- Plant native plants. Native grasses, flowers, shrubs and trees evolved alongside local birds. They provide the seeds, nectar, insects, berries and nesting sites birds need.
- Avoid pesticides. Chemicals reduce birds’ insect food supply and can even poison birds. Use organic approaches instead or tolerate some insects to nourish birds.
- Limit disturbances. Minimize unnatural noises, flashing lights, sudden movements, and intrusions near nests during breeding months. Kitties kill birds, so keep cats indoors or leashed.
- Think diversity. Birds have different preferences when it comes to food, shelter, nesting spots, territories, and more. The more diversity you offer, the more species you can host.
With some planning and tweaks to your yard, you’ll soon enjoy the sights, sounds, and benefits of a diversity of visiting birds. The rewards are well worth the effort! Reach out to local experts for advice tailored to birds in your specific area. Then get busy making your yard as bird-friendly as possible!
Frequently Asked Questions About Attracting Birds to Your Yard
What types of bird feed should I offer?
Different birds prefer different foods. Provide a variety:
- Black oil sunflower seeds for chickadees, nuthatches, titmice, finches
- Nyger or thistle seed for goldfinches and siskins
- Suet for woodpeckers, nuthatches, wrens
- Fruit like orange slices/halves for orioles and tanagers
- Live mealworms for bluebirds and robins
- Sugar water nectar for hummingbirds
- Cracked corn for jays, doves and sparrows
Mix it up and see who stops by! Adjust offerings based on what gets eaten.
How often should I clean bird feeders?
Feeders should be cleaned periodically to avoid spreading diseases between birds. Here are some general guidelines:
- Hummingbird feeders – Every 2-3 days
- Seed/suet feeders – Every 2 weeks
- More often during warm, wet weather when feed can get moldy
- Disinfect feeders with a weak bleach solution
Always wash hands after handling feeders too. Providing fresh food keeps birds healthy.
What are good water sources for birds?
Birds need water not only for drinking but also bathing. Some good choices include:
- Birdbath – Add a dripper or mister to attract more birds
- Garden pond/water feature – Provide sloped edges for access
- Water garden – Birds will bathe and drink from pond
- Fountain – Choose a style with multiple levels
- Rain garden – Ephemeral water attracts birds
- Creek or stream – Increase appeal with rocks for perching
Situate water near vegetation for safety and comfort. Change water frequently. In winter, provide heated birdbaths to offer liquid water.
Should I leave dead trees standing for birds?
Standing dead trees, called “snags”, provide great bird habitat so if safe, leave them in place. Here’s how they help birds:
- Nesting cavities – Woodpeckers drill holes then other birds use them
- Perches – Dead branches offer observation and hunting perches
- Food – Insects live in decaying wood, attracting birds
- Shelter – Cavities and crevices provide nesting spots and shelter
However, any dead or dying tree that risks falling on people or buildings should be removed by a certified arborist. Most snags can remain for years, providing continuous habitat.
How do I keep birds safe from outdoor cats?
Outdoor and feral cats kill billions of birds each year. Here are some tips to protect birds:
- Keep pet cats indoors or use catios for outdoor time.
- Outfit cats with bibs, collars with bells, or other devices to warn birds.
- Install cat-proof fencing around any bird habitats in your yard.
- Deter feral cats with humane methods like motion-activated sprinklers.
- Support TNR (trap-neuter-return) programs to reduce feral populations humanely over time.
- Educate neighbors about impacts their roaming cats have on birds and wildlife.
What are the best native plants to attract birds?
Great native plants for attracting birds include:
- Trees like oaks, maples, cherries, dogwoods, Douglas fir, etc.
- Shrubs like elderberry, serviceberry, currants, sumac and wild roses.
- Vines such as trumpet honeysuckle, Virginia creeper and wild grape.
- Perennials like coneflowers, asters, Joe pye weed, phlox and sedums.
- Grasses and sedges for seeds and nesting material.
- Plants with berries and fruit like dogwood, juniper, cherry, etc.
- Flowering plants for pollen and nectar like lupine, columbine and bee balm.
Consult local plant guides to pick the best native plants for your specific region. Include a diversity to support diverse birds!
Conclusion
Welcoming birds into your yard brings many joys along with practical benefits like pest control, pollination, seed dispersal, and increased biodiversity. Start by meeting birds’ basic needs for food, water, shelter, and nesting sites. Plant native vegetation whenever possible. Avoid pesticides and outdoor cats. Include habitat elements like brush piles, snags, and evergreens. Be patient for your yard to start attracting birds. Once you gain a reputation as a bird-friendly space, you’ll be rewarded with the sights, sounds, and services of a wonderful variety of wild birds brightening your backyard.