Bird Haven

Birds eat a varied diet of berries, seeds, nuts, grains, insects, and nectars that changes with their seasonal needs. Some birds need sugary berries during nesting season and fatty nuts in winter. Your yard will be more habitable if you provide a variety of foods year round.

In the fall, leave the leaves! Leaves, spent flowers, and hollow stems provide places for insects, an important food source.

It should be noted that plants grown to provide fruit and berries for human consumption will also be attractive to birds. Protect these plants with bird netting, reflective bird scare tape or motion sensing sprinklers.

You can also install feeders in your bird haven to provide a variety of seeds, grains, and fruits.

Birds tend to appear in places where they feel secure. Security, from a bird’s point-of-view is all about finding good vantage points from which to survey for predators (domestic cats and hawks for example) and being able to navigate from high to low places without being noticed.

The creation of a tiered, multi-level environment will be very inviting. Survey your space to see if any of these areas are lacking. Add a tree if you need height, and large or low shrubs if they aren’t present. Tall trees can be 25 feet or higher. Dense eye-level shrubs will reach 6-12 feet. Low shrubs are generally 1-4 feet.

Birdbaths make great garden ornaments, but they are also useful to birds for drinking and bathing. Birdbaths should be placed among low-level cover plants rather than out in the open (the middle of your lawn) so they are more secure while enjoying them. To keep birds happy and healthy, birdbaths will need to be cleaned regularly as well.

Ponds and fountains are also good sources for water. Birds can misjudge the depth of water, so ponds should have wire mesh placed just below the surface. A protruding rock or driftwood will also provide a safe landing spot.

Feeders attract a wide variety of birds and can keep those wintering in your neighborhood healthy during the coldest weather. Install different types of feeders to attract different kinds of birds. Remember to clean your feeders every time they are refilled—at the very least.

Seed Buying Guide

• Cracked corn: Jays, Woodpeckers
• Fruit: Apples for Robins, orange slices & dried fruit for Western Tanagers
• Small grains & seed mix: Blackbird, Towhee
• Suet: Chickadee, Jay, Warblers, Woodpeckers, Spotted Towhee
• Sunflower: Chickadee, Finches, Jays, Woodpeckers
• Thistle: Finches
• Unsalted nuts: Chickadee, Junco, Woodpecker, Jay

Feeder Styles

• House feeders and sunflower feeders are good for large seeds like cracked corn & sunflower seeds.
• Tube Feeders hold small seed mixes and thistle. They are available with wire mesh to keep squirrels out.
• Platform feeders hold fruit, corncobs, and other large treats.
• Suet cages hold fatty suet blocks that birds love during the cold of winter.
• Nectar feeders with sugar water attract hummingbirds all year. Hummingbird feeders can be filled with a nectar solution that is made with 1 part sugar to 4 parts boiling water (cooled completely). Do not add food coloring and never substitute honey for sugar.

Be sure to keep feeders clean and seed fresh so that birds are eating healthy food. Nesting season is a good time to remove, clean, and repair most feeders. Hummingbird feeders should be cleaned every time they are refilled—at the very least.

Feeders will attract more birds if they are placed in locations that provide cover, which will help the birds feel more secure while eating.