Beginner's Guide to Bird-Friendly Gardens
Attracting birds to the garden benefits you almost as much as it does our feathered friends. Here are 10 tips to get you started
Carol Bucknell
10 August 2016
Houzz New Zealand Contributor. Journalist who lives in Auckland and specialises in writing about gardens, houses and design. Author of two books on garden design: Contemporary gardens of New Zealand and Big Ideas for Small Gardens both published by Penguin. I also design gardens and am a passionate gardener. Currently I write the garden pages for New Zealand magazine Your Home & Garden and contribute to NZ Gardener and NZ House & Garden magazines.
Houzz New Zealand Contributor. Journalist who lives in Auckland and specialises... More
As our cities and towns grow larger, bird habitats are decreasing in size, which is why it’s so important to provide places for birds in our gardens. Just watching the day-to-day activities of our little feathered friends can be a fascinating experience for both adults and children. Even more so when an important visitor such as a tui or kingfisher arrives in the garden. One year I had a heron sitting beside my pond in inner-city Auckland and, although I had to chase him away from his intended breakfast of three fat goldfish, I was still very honoured by his presence.
According to the laws of feng shui, birds bring harmonious energy to your garden. They are also very useful creatures to have around. Finches, sparrows, yellowhammers and many other species eat the seeds of garden weeds, wax-eyes will feast on aphids, and blackbirds and thrushes will kill pests such as slugs, snails and grass grub larvae. Read on to find out how to make your home a haven for these helpful little critters.
According to the laws of feng shui, birds bring harmonious energy to your garden. They are also very useful creatures to have around. Finches, sparrows, yellowhammers and many other species eat the seeds of garden weeds, wax-eyes will feast on aphids, and blackbirds and thrushes will kill pests such as slugs, snails and grass grub larvae. Read on to find out how to make your home a haven for these helpful little critters.
1. Provide plenty of water
If you enjoy watching birds then a bird bath is a must have. A broad, shallow basin is best, so they can both bathe and drink. Your bird bath needs to be high enough so that cats can’t climb onto it, with no hiding places for puss close by. Ideally there should also be tree branches or some kind of perch for the birds to sit on before and after their bath.
TIP: Clean out every few days as birds carry lice and bird droppings will contaminate the water.
If you enjoy watching birds then a bird bath is a must have. A broad, shallow basin is best, so they can both bathe and drink. Your bird bath needs to be high enough so that cats can’t climb onto it, with no hiding places for puss close by. Ideally there should also be tree branches or some kind of perch for the birds to sit on before and after their bath.
TIP: Clean out every few days as birds carry lice and bird droppings will contaminate the water.
2. Ensure fountains are safe
As well as bird baths and ponds, birds will be attracted to decorative water features and fountains in the garden, especially during very hot weather. If possible, try to keep cats away from such areas in the summer. Birds also like the rough stone used here as it provides a great place to perch while other birds are bathing.
Wonderful ways to use water in the garden
As well as bird baths and ponds, birds will be attracted to decorative water features and fountains in the garden, especially during very hot weather. If possible, try to keep cats away from such areas in the summer. Birds also like the rough stone used here as it provides a great place to perch while other birds are bathing.
Wonderful ways to use water in the garden
3. Provide food in winter
The rules for positioning bird feeders are similar to bird baths – they need to be around 1.5 metres high so they are out of reach of cats and other predators, with ideally few plants around to conceal them. It’s also not a good idea to place bird tables and feeders near windows, as birds might fly into them when they see trees reflected in the glass.
Bird tables and feeders will ensure a regular supply of food for resident and visiting birds, but are best used when there’s not much food around. Too much food and you risk them becoming reliant on you. Young birds in particular need to learn to fend for themselves. The food you should provide depends on the type of bird that visits your garden.
TIP: Too much bread is not good for birds as it contains salt.
The rules for positioning bird feeders are similar to bird baths – they need to be around 1.5 metres high so they are out of reach of cats and other predators, with ideally few plants around to conceal them. It’s also not a good idea to place bird tables and feeders near windows, as birds might fly into them when they see trees reflected in the glass.
Bird tables and feeders will ensure a regular supply of food for resident and visiting birds, but are best used when there’s not much food around. Too much food and you risk them becoming reliant on you. Young birds in particular need to learn to fend for themselves. The food you should provide depends on the type of bird that visits your garden.
TIP: Too much bread is not good for birds as it contains salt.
4. Use a diverse range of plants
Appropriate planting is one of the best ways to attract birds into the garden, with ideally a diverse mix of trees, shrubs, perennials and annuals. Native plants are the obvious food source for native birds but most will happily feast on the nectar or berries of exotic plants too. Planting a mixture of both provides shelter and food for both native and introduced birds in your garden all year round.
Browse more backyard design ideas
Appropriate planting is one of the best ways to attract birds into the garden, with ideally a diverse mix of trees, shrubs, perennials and annuals. Native plants are the obvious food source for native birds but most will happily feast on the nectar or berries of exotic plants too. Planting a mixture of both provides shelter and food for both native and introduced birds in your garden all year round.
Browse more backyard design ideas
5. Plant trees for shelter and food
Larger trees allow birds a safe refuge from predators, as well as a place to build nests in summer and find shelter during winter. They also provide food including insects, sap, nectar, berries or seed. This flowering cherry (Prunus) is a prime source of nectar for birds; in fact in spring, tui will often get drunk on it. Other blossom trees such as crab apple (Malus) are equally rich in nectar. Later in summer the tui will be back for the small fruit along with blackbirds, wax-eyes, bellbirds and starlings.
Larger trees allow birds a safe refuge from predators, as well as a place to build nests in summer and find shelter during winter. They also provide food including insects, sap, nectar, berries or seed. This flowering cherry (Prunus) is a prime source of nectar for birds; in fact in spring, tui will often get drunk on it. Other blossom trees such as crab apple (Malus) are equally rich in nectar. Later in summer the tui will be back for the small fruit along with blackbirds, wax-eyes, bellbirds and starlings.
6. Include native plants
Popular New Zealand natives such as flax, Coprosma, cabbage trees (Cordyline australis), kowhai (Sophora), Tecomanthe and pohutukawa are an important source of food for native birds. If you don’t have room for larger trees in your garden, kowhai and cabbage trees are a good option.
In spring the vibrant yellow blossom of kowhai or the creamy scented flowers of cabbage trees will lure birds for their nectar, then later in summer and autumn they will feast on their seeds. Easy-to-grow upright cabbage trees should be planted in groups of three or more for a sculptural effect.
Popular New Zealand natives such as flax, Coprosma, cabbage trees (Cordyline australis), kowhai (Sophora), Tecomanthe and pohutukawa are an important source of food for native birds. If you don’t have room for larger trees in your garden, kowhai and cabbage trees are a good option.
In spring the vibrant yellow blossom of kowhai or the creamy scented flowers of cabbage trees will lure birds for their nectar, then later in summer and autumn they will feast on their seeds. Easy-to-grow upright cabbage trees should be planted in groups of three or more for a sculptural effect.
7. Plant large flaxes
Both species of flax, Phormium tenax and P. cookianum, as well as all their cultivars, produce copious amounts of nectar in their flowers, attracting tui, bellbirds, starlings, sparrows, even mynas. Plant larger-growing types if you can, because the small varieties are more dangerous for birds to feed from.
NZ native plants you need to know
Both species of flax, Phormium tenax and P. cookianum, as well as all their cultivars, produce copious amounts of nectar in their flowers, attracting tui, bellbirds, starlings, sparrows, even mynas. Plant larger-growing types if you can, because the small varieties are more dangerous for birds to feed from.
NZ native plants you need to know
8. Provide plenty of berries
Tui, wood pigeon and other fruit-eating birds flock to berry-producing plants in autumn and winter. Most, like this lovely Oregon grape (Mahonia aquifolium), add interest to the garden when there’s little flower colour to speak of. Fruit-eating birds also adore crab apples and the berries of many other ornamental trees and shrubs such as shadbush (Amelanchier), coprosma, Cotoneaster, Pseudopanax, Mountain ash (Sorbus) and Viburnum.
Tui, wood pigeon and other fruit-eating birds flock to berry-producing plants in autumn and winter. Most, like this lovely Oregon grape (Mahonia aquifolium), add interest to the garden when there’s little flower colour to speak of. Fruit-eating birds also adore crab apples and the berries of many other ornamental trees and shrubs such as shadbush (Amelanchier), coprosma, Cotoneaster, Pseudopanax, Mountain ash (Sorbus) and Viburnum.
9. Plant grasses for seed
In autumn, weedy patches in the garden are a magnet for seed-eating birds like finches: chaffinch, greenfinch and goldfinch as well as yellowhammer. Having the birds eat weed seeds is way more preferable than having them germinate in your garden, so why not plant as much food for them as possible? They’ll eat the seed of ornamental grasses as well as weeds, and you can always hang seed bells from a bird table to make your garden even more desirable.
In autumn, weedy patches in the garden are a magnet for seed-eating birds like finches: chaffinch, greenfinch and goldfinch as well as yellowhammer. Having the birds eat weed seeds is way more preferable than having them germinate in your garden, so why not plant as much food for them as possible? They’ll eat the seed of ornamental grasses as well as weeds, and you can always hang seed bells from a bird table to make your garden even more desirable.
10. Add some flowering annuals
Finches, sparrows and other seed-eating birds also love to feed on the seed of annual flowers such as Cosmos, daisies, asters, coneflowers (Rudbeckia), sunflowers and Echinacea. Create a meadow-like area in your garden for these summer-flowering plants, with grasses and flaxes to provide structure (and more bird food) in the winter.
TIP: At the end of summer, don’t cut flowers off all your plants. Allow them to dry out so the seed can ripen and provide food for birds during the autumn and winter.
YOUR SAY
How does your garden attract birds? Share your tips in the Comments.
MORE
Browse more gardening tips
Finches, sparrows and other seed-eating birds also love to feed on the seed of annual flowers such as Cosmos, daisies, asters, coneflowers (Rudbeckia), sunflowers and Echinacea. Create a meadow-like area in your garden for these summer-flowering plants, with grasses and flaxes to provide structure (and more bird food) in the winter.
TIP: At the end of summer, don’t cut flowers off all your plants. Allow them to dry out so the seed can ripen and provide food for birds during the autumn and winter.
YOUR SAY
How does your garden attract birds? Share your tips in the Comments.
MORE
Browse more gardening tips
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I love to hear that Annie Cass Landscapes. And I'd forgotten about seed heads - the finches do love them. Same for Cosmos seeds which have the Rosellas here in droves. And then there's leaving bare places for the hunting birds to just sit and look - mostly kookaburras and herons around here. When they can hear frogs and cant find a place to sit they choose the hills hoist - which makes me very nervous!
I live in a Suburb with a few trees, especially the nature strip (one per house) also one quite big tree inside the front boundary, plus a growing 8ft mandarin fruit tree, still growing, and assorted fruit trees (apple, plum, lemon etc) these at the moment about 3 to 4 ft tall and still growing, and I am trying to attract bird life to our front yard, I built a birds nest on top of a steel pole about 8ft high to stop cats etc, and another 4 which I will attach to the front tree on the front boundary which I will hang from the branch's to stop cats, etc I know I will have to buy netting for the fruit trees, and we also have 7ft brick wall running across the front boundary, which gives us a lot of privacy, we have parakeets, and lorakeets and assorted birds which visit us especially the big tree in the front. next is a birds bath. Love your article, always looking for ideas.