Attracting Birds

Attracting birds to your yard brings nature to your back door.  They are colorful and their songs can bring enjoyment to your ears every day.

Attracting birds to your backyard is very simple and can bring enjoyment for the entire family.  You just need to provide the simple basics of food, water and shelter.  Imagine the thrill of identifying a new feathered friend that has come to your bird feeder for the first time.  Watch their nesting habits and observe as parents feed and take care of their young.  You do not need special equipment to watch the birds that come into your yard, but binoculars enable you to see up close the many colors and activities.  Binocular types can be very simple or very large, expensive models.

One of the best choices for attracting birds is black-oil sunflower seeds because it is a favorite food of many of them.  Other types of birdseed mixes are also desirable for many birds.  There are many types of bird feeders that can be purchased or you can just place the seed on the ground or on a simple platform.   During cold winter months suet in a wire container is a great source of energy especially for insect eating birds.  During warmer months when suet can not be used, you can take stale bread and replace the suet with a peanut butter sandwich.

A nectar feeder is a great method for attracting hummingbirds.  These types of feeders, however, do require some additional work to keep them clean and they can attract insects such as yellowjackets and ants.  Another method is to plant butterfly bushes.  Not only will you attract many colorful species of butterflies, but hummingbirds are also attracted to the nectar of the bushes.

A simple method for attracting birds is to have running or dripping water.  The movement and sparkling of the water makes them curious and they will visit often to drink and bathe.  The number of visitors you attract will increase with noisy water.  You don’t need to create a lot of sound because a bird’s hearing is acute, and they can pick up just a ripple or a drip.  But, even if you can not provide running water try to supply a simple birdbath because they need water to survive.

Cover and shelter is another method in attracting birds because they provide protection from temperature extremes, wind, and predators.  Our feathered friends feel safe when they are not out in the open.  The best kind of cover for attracting birds is shrubs or trees.  Flowering shrubs such as forsythia not only provide you with a very colorful yard, but birds love to hide in them. Birdhouses can also be a great source of shelter in attracting birds.  Birdhouses also offer a great place to build a safe nest.

Attracting birds to your yard provides a natural insect control.  Many birds eat spiders, grubs and insects.  For example, purple martins love mosquitoes, so you can put in purple martin birdhouses to attract them.  Another way for attracting birds is to plant a flower garden.  The garden is a source of food for small songbirds and a source of cover.

You can bring color and song into your life everyday by just providing the simple basics of food, water and shelter for attracting birds.