Lots of people put up some bird food in their garden and quickly find themselves hooked. Before you know it, they are turning their entire garden into bird habitats, so they can enjoy all that nature has to give. If this sounds like you, the following tips may be of benefit.
Feeder and Foods
If you want to learn how to create a fantastic habitat for birds in your backyard, you have to start by putting out a feeder in the backyard behind your home. But you also have to get the right food. Commercially available feeds in grocery stores is usually quite bland, and won’t attract many birds. Instead, choose black oil sunflower seeds, which birds find super tasty, as well as easy to eat. Furthermore, it has a really good nutritional value. You will soon attract a range of birds, from woodpeckers to finches.
You can also get feeders that attract specific types of birds. For instance, you can use a thistle seed or nyjer sock, which will attract purple finches, house finches, and American goldfinches. Woodpecker suets, obviously, attract woodpeckers. Nectar feeders attract hummingbirds, although you do have to be patient for these. You can also scatter seeds on the ground, or on a platform, and attract doves, robins, and juncos.
Water
Besides food, you also need water to get birds to your yard. This is perhaps the most enjoyable thing of all. Water is obviously important for the survival of all animal life, but having water available in your yard will also enable birds to play, bathe, and generally enjoy themselves. There is nothing quite so enjoyable to wash as a little finch having a bath on its feathers. Best of all, it is really easy to make a water supply for birds. For instance:
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You can use a pie tin on a stand.
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You can fill a plant hanger with water.
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You can place a casserole dish or large bowl on a tree stump.
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You can hang a bucket from a branch.
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You can turn the lid of your garbage can upside down and put it on the garbage can again.
Make sure, however, that you put your water supply away from places where cats could hide. An open space is always best, because it stops predators from hiding nearby. If you can make the water move, birds will love it even more, as they love both the movement and the sound of flowing water.
Your Landscape
Last but not least, there is your overall landscaping. If you make sure that you have different density and heights of plants, you will also attract more birds. Have everything in your yard from tall canopy trees down to perennials to attract the greatest variety of birds. Do make sure, as well, that some of your trees have nuts, berries, and more, as the birds will love this. And make sure you have some dense foliage and height, so that birds can nest as well. An ideal garden is one that also has plenty of nesting material in it.
