Birds are a welcome addition to the yard, bringing pleasant songs, bright colors, and lively activity. Creating a bird-friendly landscape doesn’t have to be complicated—just a few thoughtful choices can make your yard a place birds return to year after year.
Quick Tips for Attracting Birds
- Offer food, water, and shelter year-round
- Use clean, well-maintained feeders
- Provide fresh water in all seasons
- Plant trees and shrubs birds can use for food and cover
- Leave seedheads on flowers through winter
Feeding Birds
Putting out bird feeders is often the first step people take when attracting birds—and it’s an excellent place to start.
A simple hopper or “house” feeder filled with black oil sunflower seed attracts a wide variety of birds and usually feeds for several days. Feeders should be checked regularly and cleaned if seed becomes wet or moldy.
Using different types of feeders helps attract a wider variety of birds:
- Suet feeders: Attract chickadees and woodpeckers
- Tube feeders: Attract smaller birds, depending on port size
Offering seed year-round encourages birds to keep returning to your yard.
Using Plants to Attract Birds
Plants play an important role in creating bird-friendly landscapes.
- Trees such as junipers and serviceberries provide both food and shelter
- Leaving seedheads on flowers like coneflowers gives seed-eating birds a winter food source
Natural food sources help support birds beyond what feeders alone can provide.
Providing Water Year-Round
Water is just as important as food when attracting birds.
In summer, bird baths help birds stay hydrated and cool, especially during drought. Water should be changed daily to keep it clean and prevent disease.
In winter, offering a bird bath or heated water bowl is an excellent way to attract birds when natural water sources are frozen. Water should still be refreshed regularly.
Shelter and Nesting Areas
Birds need safe places to rest and escape predators. Planting large shrubs or small trees near feeders provides cover when birds fly to and from feeding areas.
If you choose to add birdhouses, place them well away from feeders. Nesting birds prefer quieter areas and may avoid houses placed near heavy activity. Birdhouses should be cleaned out once a year.
Building a Bird-Friendly Yard
Creating a welcoming yard for birds can be as simple or as elaborate as you choose. By providing food, water, shelter, and natural plantings, you’ll enjoy birds throughout the year—and the experience is always rewarding.