How to Attract Birds to Your Yard

To attract beautiful birds to your yard (or balcony), follow these six simple steps:

1. Set up a birdfeeder.
2. Provide a clean source of water.
3. Add birdhouses.
4. Plant native flowers and bushes.
5. Learn about local birds.
6. Learn how to identify birds.

Read our full blog post “How to Attract Birds to Your Yard” to learn more, and check out our blog post “How to Become a Bird-Watching Family” to sharpen your birding skills.

When choosing which foods to provide for your backyard birds, it’s wise to do some research and to provide a variety of treats to attract your avian friends. Many birds love different types of seeds, but some varieties also enjoy suet or berries. (Caution: Do not feed birds bread or rice because these foods expand in their stomachs.)

Also, don’t cut your lawn too short! While many homeowners love a neat, manicured lawn, birds like to find meals in the longer blades, digging for seeds and other treats. Many insects love to hide in between thick clumps of overgrown grass. Yum!

Think about the birds you want to attract before buying or constructing just any birdhouse. Some species, such as wrens and chickadees, prefer to nest in a house hanging from a tree. Other birds, like American robins and woodpeckers, enjoy a house mounted to a tree. A birdhouse mounted to a post can attract bluebirds and tree swallows.

While many varieties of birdhouses are available in countless colors, shapes, and sizes, plain and simple is usually best; bright colors can attract predators, and certain paints and other materials can be toxic to our avian friends. Make sure to do some thoughtful research when choosing your birdhouses, but also remember to have fun!

Birds love bright colors and fragrant flowers. Fill your yard or balcony boxes with a variety of bird-attracting native plants. Hummingbirds gather nectar from bright red flowers such as salvia, while asters attract a variety of songbirds. Seed-producing flowers such as goldenrods, coneflowers, sunflowers, and berry bushes or trees provide food sources for many different birds. A quick online search will help you find out which birds will be attracted to your favorite annual or perennial plants.