There’s nothing like waking up to the sound of birds chirping. It’s the ultimate alarm clock and the sweetest song. If you love spending your morning coffee with the birds, you’ll like these tips to help attract birds into your yard.
#1: Feed Birds Variety
Let’s get the most obvious tip out of the way first. We’ve all bought bird feed at the store before, but there’s a bit more to it than that. It’s not enough to buy one bag of seeds and spread it around the yard.
Sure, many birds will eat seeds off the ground but other birds like to eat from hanging feeders, suet feeders, or window feeders. There are many different types of feeders designed to keep specific critters away too, like larger birds, squirrels or mice. If something’s getting into your bird feed that shouldn’t be, look up ways to deter that specific animal.
There are many solutions. To keep squirrels out of your feeder you could make or buy a baffle, or place other foods that squirrels love (fruits and nuts) far away from the feeders.
The seed that attracts the most birds is the sunflower, particularly the black oil sunflower seed. It has a thin shell that’s easy for the majority of birds to crack open and it gives them good nutrients and fats.
Having said this, we recommend buying a mixture of high quality seeds to get the best results. They also like natural sources like fruit trees and the buds from deciduous trees. Birds can’t live on breads or low quality foods, they need the right nutrients and will go to the places that offer them.
#2: Give Them Shelter
Birds need protection from the elements and other animals. They like tall trees and low shrubs for the different shelters they provide. The more trees and native plants you have in your backyard, the more likely birds are to stay.
Deciduous, coniferous, and fruit trees are all fantastic for birds for not only the shelter they can provide, but also the fruits and buds they get to munch on.
#3: Give Them Water
Water is super important for birds. They need it to drink but also to bathe.
Birds are drawn to moving water, like streams. You can recreate this in your yard with fountains and ponds. You can even use a simple bird bath to bring them in. Don’t worry, bird bath’s aren’t nearly as fancy as the baths we sell.
Having said this, it’s the sound of water that attracts them the most so consider features with a pump that moves water around.
There’s plenty of tricks on attracting birds to your yard. We’ve only gone over the basics today, so let us know if you’d like to see a specific bird or topic covered in more detail. We’d love to find out more of what you’re interested in.
Enjoy the beautiful springtime sights and sounds, everyone!
