Attracting Birds to Your Trees and Landscaping
Attracting Birds to Your Trees and Landscaping
Having birds in your backyards can make the environment seem more inviting and more natural. How do you attract the right birds to your landscaping and trees?
We are going to be providing you with a guide to having a yard that allows birds to mingle freely and enjoy your beautiful landscaping with you. From the type of trees that do best with birds to what you should offer in them, we have got you covered.
First, let’s start with the benefits of a bird-friendly landscape.
The Benefits of a Bird-Friendly Landscape
If you are not sure why you would even want to attract birds to your landscaping and trees, there are actually a lot of benefits to consider.
Weed Control
Different species of birds like finches and sparrows actually consume a lot of weed seeds, which means that they are doing most of your weeding work for you. If you have a lot of flowers and plants that bear seeds, this also gives them a fantastic natural food source as well.
Pest Control
A lot of birds eat a wide variety of insects, including spiders, aphids , mosquitoes and other bugs that you would most likely consider a pest . Attracting birds to your landscaping will help you avoid other living creatures that would actually cause damage.
This is a great alternative to using chemical pesticides or other time/money consuming forms of pest control.
Flower Pollination
Hummingbirds, as well as orioles and some other bird species sip nectar, making them extremely efficient pollinators of your garden flowers. This may even give your flowers an additional color boost from the extra blooms, which may attract even more birds.
Aesthetics
The addition of colorful, chirping birds and the bird-friendly landscape you have created will create a more natural looking, welcoming environment. It may also help raise your property values as well.
Wildlife Conservation
Attracting birds in your backyard will provide an oasis for bird and wildlife conservation. This will be effective for both your local species of birds and animals, as well as migrating ones as well.
Stress Relief
If you take additional time to be outside for birdwatching and landscaping for the birds, you will find that it’s a great way to relieve stress as well. In addition to the extra vitamin D you will be receiving from the sunshine, watching birds and nature can have a calming effect on the human body.
Education
You can also learn quite a bit from birdwatching. Observing your local wildlife and bird species will give you insight to your local ecosystems and the different species around you.
Choose the Right Type of Trees
So which trees are best for housing and welcoming birds? Why do birds need trees?
Trees actually provide all of the basic needs that a bird has. This includes food, shelter, and water. They get food from the nuts, pests, sap, and fruit from the trees, and water from the leaves that collect it. Tree branches are perfect for housing birds because they can build their nests safely there. Most trees will be of some benefit to these creatures, but certain ones may work out better for certain aspects of their needs.
Here are some tips for choosing the best trees for birds .
If you are planting new trees, make sure that they are appropriate for your climate and region . You will of course want trees that are able to thrive in the area you live.
You may want a variety of different trees, meaning a mix of fruit , coniferous , and deciduous trees. This will both attract the biggest range of birds and provide them with the most resources. This also refers to a variety of different shapes, sizes, and thicknesses, as it will allow different species of birds to choose what they like the most for housing.
Providing Them With Food
To initially lure birds into your landscaping, you may want to offer them some additional incentives. Having a few bird feeders is a great way to attract some local species.
In order to do this properly, make sure you have done some research on the types of birds you will most likely encounter in your local area. Different species prefer different feeders/types of food, so it will help you to know what you are going to be feeding.
There are a few different types of feeders you can purchase/make yourself.
House Feeders
House feeders are pretty common, as they look aesthetically pleasing. This design almost looks like a tiny little house, because it has walls and a roof.
These feeders keep the birdseed in a contained area and then dispense it as it is needed into a small tray at the bottom of the feeder. This is great for keeping away bears and other larger animals that may want to get to the food.
Tray Feeders
Tray feeders are as simple as they sound – flat trays that just allow birds to land on them and feed on the food as they please.
The only big downside to this design is that it is open, meaning that squirrels and other animals have easy access to it as well. On top of that, it is not protected from any wet weather.
Suet Feeders
Suet feeders are created to offer suet cakes, which is food that will specifically attract birds like nuthatches, woodpeckers, and chickadees.
This design has a wire cage around it, so it won’t be as accessible to other animals.
Window Feeders
If you would like to birdwatch from inside your house, a window feeder is a great option. These simply attach to your window with suction cups to give you a full view.
These feeders tend to attract birds like finches, chickadees, and certain kinds of sparrows.
Tube Feeders
These bird feeders are simply in the shape of a tube that dispenses food at the bottom of it.
Some tube feeders are specifically for hummingbirds. The design is a tube that dispenses sugar water out of one end for them to drink.
Create Nesting Spots
In addition to having the right kind of trees to invite birds in to build their housing, there are several other ways you can create comfortable areas for birds to nest.
Birdhouses are a popular option for creating nesting spots. Just like with other aspects of making your yard presentable for birds, you will want to know what type of birds you will be expecting.
Boxes/houses with different shapes, orientations, and holes will attract different species. Once you have decided on the type(s) that you are making or buying, they can be mounted to a tree or hung to a pole.
If you are in the south, make sure that you have the birdhouse hung no later than February. For northern areas, you can hang it as late as March.
For those of you who would prefer a more natural looking nesting spot, you can simply allow your yard to become a little more wild. For example, you can build up a brush pile, or allow the grass to grow a little higher in a specific area. This stimulates the habitats that a bird would nest in the wild.
Our Final Thoughts on Bird-Friendly Landscaping
We hope that you found our guide to making your backyard bird-friendly was helpful, and that you take some steps in your own landscaping to do so. If you need additional assistance, you can always contact us for help as well.
What do you do to bring birds to your trees?
