How To Make Your Garden A Haven For Birds

Toby Patrick looks at how to turn our gardens into bird-friendly environments, leaving outdoor spaces with renewed character and adorable photo opportunities.

Image Credit: Vittorio Zamboni on Unsplash

There’s no better feeling than unwinding in your garden on a hot summer’s day, surrounded by the sights and sounds of Mother Nature. But if you find your garden lacking visitors, you may need to take a few steps to increase the number of animals paying you a flying visit. If you like the idea of turning your garden into a bird haven, we’ve got a few tips to help you out while also increasing the aesthetic appeal of your outdoor space.

Bird Feeding and Watering Stations

The easiest way to attract birds to your garden is to provide them with food to eat. Bird food can be picked up from most garden centres, though it might be better to tailor your offering based on the season. The winter is survival season for birds, so high-fat options like suet and fat balls are best for energy storage.

During warmer months, birds require higher amounts of protein for nesting, so options like mealworms, nuts and fruit are perfect. In summer, a watering station can also be a great addition to your garden if you are trying to attract birds.

The beauty of feeding and watering stations is that they can add their own touch of character to your garden. Many are carved in stone and can be styled with plants and flowers to increase the amount of colour in your garden. An important point to remember is how crucial it is to clean these additions to your garden to avoid any spread of avian flu and trichomonosis - nasty diseases that can decimate garden bird populations..

Image Credit: Mark Timberlake on Unsplash

Add a Pond

A pond is a great way to attract birds to your garden as they serve a multitude of purposes. Birds will, of course, see ponds as a supply of drinking water, but they’ll also use ponds for cleaning and to feast on insects that have been attracted to your pond’s surrounding areas. An area that attracts spiders and beetles will subsequently attract robins. While house sparrows are known to eat caterpillars. You may even catch a kingfisher or a swallow snatching a dragonfly in mid-air around your pond.

To get the most out of your pond, try to fill the outskirts with shrubs and long grass that can be used as a safe space by animals. You’ll also want to maintain your pond and its surroundings with pruners and other garden equipment so it remains visible to birds perched high up in trees. It might be a good idea to add log roll edging around the perimeter of your pond so it’s safe for small animals such as hedgehogs and squirrels.

Flowers and Plants

Your choice of flowers, shrubs and plants will determine the type of birds that are attracted to your garden. If you are looking to create a bird-friendly garden, focus on plants and shrubs that are rich in berries, such as the cotoneaster and the guelder rose. Smaller birds will also feast on seeds, so you may want to add plants like sunflowers that are full of snackable seeds.

Also, consider planting native wildflowers, these will naturally attract a variety of invertebrates, especially those that seek out pollen. While these may add a touch of character to your garden, they also increase the variety of food sources for birds in your garden.

Image Credit: Jordan Cormack on Unsplash

Trees

Tall trees provide a safe space for birds to find shelter and nest during the summer. They can also provide a relieving source of shade for your garden in warmer months. Unfortunately, most trees can take tens of years to reach their maximum height, so if you don’t have the luxury of a tree-filled garden, you may want to focus on faster-growing trees.

The likes of silver birch trees and hazel trees are known for their ability to develop at a faster rate, which means you won’t need to wait a lifetime to see results. If you are fortunate enough to have leafy trees in your garden, resist the temptation to prune your trees during the summer months when birds are nesting and breeding.

Birdproof your garden 

Finally, it’s not just about the ways you attract birds to your garden, it’s the steps you take to keep them there. While birds will enjoy all of the above additions, consider how you can keep them safe.

For instance, cat owners may need to take measures to prevent cats from hunting birds. While you may not have considered this, it’s estimated that cats are responsible for the deaths of over 40 million birds a year! Smaller birds like sparrows, blue tits and blackbirds are most at risk.

A simple bell on their collar will alert birds to your cat’s presence. You may also want to place feeding stations close to trees so visiting birds have a quick escape route from predators.

Whether you’re a budding wildlife photographer looking to get better shots in your back garden or you are just simply a bird lover wanting to attract more winged visitors to your home, the tips above should help fill your brain with inspiration. 

About the Author:

Toby Patrick is a marketing graduate and freelance writer. In between running and travelling, he pens articles covering everything from conservation to content marketing.