Birds typically eat insects, seeds, fruits, nuts and berries. When you are planning your backyard environment, you should include species of flowers to attract insects and spiders. For fruits, nuts and berries, chooses a variety of plants, shrubs and trees which will continue to produce food as the seasons change. Another option is birdfeeders. The most common food for birdfeeders is sunflower seeds along with corn and millet. There are different styles of birdfeeders with different feeding areas to attract various species of birds including hanging feeders, platform feeders, tube feeders and suet (for birds to eat insect) feeders.

Safe water, free of pollutants and away from predators is extremely important to birds. Birds use water for drinking, bathing and cleaning their feathers. If you choose a birdbath, make sure it has some rough edges so the birds can get solid footing Birds are attracted to the sound of running or moving water so if you are lucky enough to have a stream, you have a great start. Ponds or pools should have stones, pebbles or sand for the birds.

Providing shelter or cover will protect the birds when they feed and nest. Many birds like to scrounge for food on the ground and look for areas where they can’t be seen by potential enemies. They also need place to build their nests. A combination of dense twigs, shrubs, plants and trees along with thorny plants such as roses with shield the birds. You should also have some open grassy areas. The greenery and shrubbery will also provide great nesting material for the wild birds. You can also set up nest boxes which will provide a place for hole-nesters and their babies since most backyards won’t have their normal habitat, dead trees. You can also either buy or build bird houses in your backyard, providing a safe haven from the wind, rain and cold.

One of the simplest ways not to scare birds away from your backyard and providing happy safe area to raise their young is to keep other animals away, especially cats. Following these easy tips and you will be able to enjoy many wild birds calling your backyard home.

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In Cody Lotts’ book entitled, “Bird Man Secrets”, you will learn how to attract all of the birds you’ve ever dreamed of to your yard, patio, or balcony in record time, for minimal expense, and with very little work. It is filled with tips and trick to attract, nourish, and protect your birds; you can even watch in stunned amazement as the birds descend on your feeders like magic.

Here, you will learn how to prevent window collisions and what to do when you find a stunned bird, why some birds may be avoiding your feeders and what you can do about it, what you absolutely must know about bird baths and water troughs, what you should or shouldn’t have in the area around your feeder, which feeders to use for which birds, what you use as bird food, what you must never feed birds so you don’t kill them, and why you should even have a bird feeder at all and how long you can expect it to last.

You will also discover the vital steps to keep feeders out of the reach of predators and thieves, the steps you absolutely must take to protect you and your family from diseases and ailments, the sneaky ways to create your bird feeders for very little expense, the six best places to shop for your bird feeders if you want store bought convenience, the picky feeding habits of some of the most sought-after birds and how playing to their habits will attract them by the dozens to your feeders, and  the exact food and feeder to use for each type of bird you want to attract.

Cody Lotts’ Bird Feeding Wild Birds is the ultimate everything-you-want-to-know-about bird-feeders guide!

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If you want to make your garden bird friendly and attract birds to your garden you have to consider the following things.

Plants

A good selection of native plants and shrubs with things like berries, and big seed heads will tempt the birds to come and feed.

Trees and Hedges

If you have the space some native trees and hedge line will provide natural nesting sites.

Nesting Boxes

If you have a smaller garden you can build or buy some nesting boxes in different sizes to provide a home for a nesting bird.

Water

Garden birds will also need a water source, so a bird bath is a perfect addition, if you don’t have one a large shallow saucer left on a patio will also provide a great place for birds to drink, bathe and splash around in. Ponds are also a good source of water for birds and it also attracts insects for them to feed on.

Food

Obviously its important to leave food out for your birds, this is the biggest factor for attracting birds to your garden, a stable bird table is great for offering nuts, seeds and fat balls to the birds. Squirrel proof hanging bird feeders are great of feeding the birds, its also very entertaining watching them pecking out the seeds.

While we’re on the subject of bird feeders can I ask you to please not buy the bird food in plastic netting that you can buy from market stalls and some supermarkets, these are very dangerous for small birds as they can get trapped in the netting and can break their legs very easily and even loose them all together. Some bird species have hooked tongues and can also become trapped in these net feeders. If you lean one thing from this article please remember this, it can save your garden birds a whole lot of suffering, and there are so many great bird feeder designs you wont have a shortage to choose from.

So, the simple rule for attracting birds to your garden is to provide what they are naturally looking for in the wild, give them a safe place to feed and they will return time and again. Enjoy it!

Some wild birds, including thrushes and chaffinches are more likely to search beneath bird tables for food. If your garden borders on woods you may have woodpeckers, marsh tits, coal tits and nuthatches visiting your bird feeders. Wild birds belonging to the thrush species such as fieldfares, mistle thrushes, song thrushes and redwings love fruits and berries so add these to your bird table to attract them.

Some wild birds, such as treecreepers and wrens are insect feeders so will not be interested in the foods you provide on your bird table or feeder. To attract these birds let an area of your garden grow wild with native plants and flowers. These will then attract the insects that are insect eating birds food.

Attracting Finches To Your Garden

Many people love to see finches in their gardens and it is easy to attract these lovely birds if you provide their favorite food. Finches love thistle seeds which are best placed in a specialised thistle feeder. The seeds are tiny and thistle feeders enclose the seeds in a mesh which finches, with their long beaks, can easily reach through.

These types of feeder also prevent the tiny seeds from dropping to the ground which would be a problem if you placed thistle seeds in a conventional feeder designed for larger seeds. Seeds spilled ion the ground will also attract predators such as squirrels. Commercially prepared thistle seeds have been treated to prevent germination. You could also put out some sunflower or millet seeds on your bird table as finches also enjoy these.

Provide Fresh Water for The Birds

You can also attract wild birds by giving them a source of fresh water or bathing and drinking. This can be as simple as a shallow pan of water on the ground but make sure you replace it regularly. A bird bath is an attractive alternative and if you incorporate a dripper or other means to agitate the water the sound will attract the birds. This is particularly valuable in the winter months when water can be a problem for the birds.

If you place a small heater or agitator in the bird bath to keep it ice free the birds will have a source of fresh water all year round. Place the bird bath in a quiet area of the garden away from your bird feeders as wild birds need quiet when they bath. They also prefer a place underneath branches or other perches for a quick escape route from any lurking cats or other predators.

Feeding Wild Birds in Throughout the Year

Wild birds require different nutrients depending on the season. In the winter feeding is especially helpful as natural food sources may be scarce. They need high energy foods during this time with high fat content. Feed them twice a day and remove any uneaten food regularly.

In the spring and summer they will need high protein foods such as raisins, seeds, mealworms, sunflower seeds etc. You can also buy specially prepared summer mixes for insect eating wild birds. Fruit can also be put out for the fruit loving birds. They will enjoy chopped up apples and pears, grapes and bananas.

During the summer do not put out fat, bread or peanuts as they can be taken back to the nest and harm the baby birds. Home made fat balls are also a bad idea in the hotter months as they will become rancid very quickly.

For finches place specially designed thistle feeders that hold the small thistle feeds that they love. Other speciality bird feeders include hummingbird feeders to hold nectar, woodpecker feeders and jay feeders. Tube feeders are designed to prevent seeds spilling on the ground and keep the seeds dry. You could also set up a window feeder to see the birds from the comfort of your room.

Always check the food regularly to make sure it is dry and free from mold and clean up around the feeder to deter wasps, ants and other predators. If squirrels are a problem in your garden be sure to purchase a squirrel proof bird feeder.

Provide Fresh Water for the Birds

Wild birds need a source of fresh water for both drinking and bathing. You could provide this with water pans or bird baths. Place water containers at various levels as some birds prefer ground level, others will be attracted to water placed at a higher level. Place any water sources away from bird feeders as birds prefer a quiet place for bathing and preening. Attract the birds to your water source with a water dripper placed in the bird bath or a mister in the trees. The gentle sounds of running water will attract the birds and many birds enjoy a bath below the dripper or in a mister as it simulates raindrops on their feathers.

During the winter months a heated bird bath or one fitted with a de-icer will ensure the water is always at the right temperature and available for the birds.

Provide a Natural Environment

Let a part of your garden grow wild and scatter wild flower seeds through the area to provide a natural environment for the birds. hang bird feeders from trees or posts in this area. This will enhance the sense of security for the birds.

Your bird house must be a safe place for birds to nest and bring up their young. Here are some tips for making your bird house proof from squirrels, yellow jackets, snakes, cats, wasps, ants and other invasive birds.

Perches

There is no need to have any perches in your bird house. The nesting birds do not need them and they only provide a means for predators to gain entrance. many bird houses come with a perch under the entrance hole. Remove it!

Baffles

A bird house mounted on a pole can have baffles fitted to prevent predators from climbing the pole and gaining entrance to the bird house. A metal baffle is preferable as it cannot be chewed. A bird house mounted on a tree can also have baffles attached to the tree trunk.

Metal plates

A metal plate fitted with a small entrance hole can be placed over the original hole on the bird house. This will prevent predators from enlarging the hole to gain entrance.

Entrance Hole

use a bird house with a small entrance hole that is just large enough for the species of bird you wish to attract. A larger hole will allow invading birds to gain entrance and eject the baby birds inside.

Ants Nests

Regularly check around the bird house (and bird feeders if you have them) for ants nests. Deal with them quickly using a method that is not harmful to wild birds.

Metal Poles

For bird houses mounted on metal poles slip a large PVC pipe over the pole before mounting the bird house. This will deter squirrels, snakes and raccoons from climbing up to the bird house. You could also smear vegetable oil on the pipe.

Cats

Fit your cat with a collar with a bell to prevent her sneaking up on the birds.

Feeders: Bird feeders can supply seeds to many species of birds, but keep the squirrels at bay. There are also feeders for humming birds to gather nectar from and suet feeders for birds that prefer this type of food. These can hold a large amount of seed, supplying the local birds with plenty of food for a couple of days at a time. The materials feeders are constructed from are weather resistant and made to stay looking new for many years.

Feeders: The evolution of the standard bird feeder has come a long way. There are now feeders which allow only a certain type of bird to feed from them, as well as thwarting off other animals or bugs. Many bird feeders are now squirrel-proof, keeping the food levels from diminishing too quickly. Not only are there feeders which hold seeds, but also suet feeders and ones that hold nectar for hummingbirds.

Bird Baths: Many styles of bird baths are available for adding to the landscape of any home. Pedestal baths are great for positioning around the garden or in the middle of a patch of flowers.

The plastic versions are light enough for one person to easily move whenever desired and they are generally weatherproof. There are even heated bird baths for keeping fresh water supplied to the birds during the winter months.

Additional Accessories: Besides the products described above, there are additional items that can be purchased for wild birds, such as water wigglers. These are great for keeping mosquitoes out of the bird bath, where they like to lay their eggs. The movement also tends to attract more birds to the bath as well. There are heating elements that can be placed in bird baths, instead of going out and purchasing an entirely new bird bath for the winter months.

Investing in wild bird supplies can not only keep the insect population under control, but attract a larger variety of birds to your yard or garden for your enjoyment.

Bluebirds can be attracted by putting up a bluebird house near an old field, golf course, cemetery, park or orchard.  Bluebirds prefer nest boxes on a wooden fence post between three or five feet high or on a tree stump.  Bluebirds, also, enjoy nesting in abandoned woodpecker nest holes.

The most consideration must be given to the hole diameter.  A hole that is an inch and a half in diameter is small enough to deter starlings, which along with house sparrows, are known to kill bluebirds while sitting on the nest.  Other animals are problematic to bluebirds, also.  Cats, snakes, chipmunks and raccoons can be discouraged from bluebird nests by mounting the bluebird home on a metal pole or by using a metal predator guard on a wood post.

Purple Martins are a welcomed bird in many a yard because they are known to eat, nearly 2,000 mosquitoes a day.  While it is true purple martins eat flying insects, donâ??t expect them to eliminate all the mosquitoes in your yard.  The martins prefer dragonflies which prey on the larvae of mosquitoes.  If you want to rid your yard of mosquitoes, you would have better luck if you put up a bat roosting box.  One bat can eat thousands of mosquitoes in one night.

Martins, however, are entertaining birds.  You will enjoy watching their antics in your yard.  The best way of attracting martins is if you put a house on the edge of a river or pond, surrounded by a lawn or field.  A nearby telephone wire gives them a place to congregate, as martins are sociable birds. 

Purple martins, being sociable birds, nest in groups, also.  Therefore, you will need a house with a minimum of four large rooms, six or more inches on all sides, with a 2 ½ inch entrance hole about 1 ½ inches above the floor.  Drainage and ventilation are major factors in the design of a martin house.  Porches with porch dividers, railings and supplemental roof perches like a TV antenna make any house more appealing.

Houses can, also, be constructed from gourds by fashioning an entrance hole and small holes at the bottom to permit drainage.  If you make homes from gourds, it is not necessary to add railings and perches because adult martins will perch on the wire used to hang the house.  Before you choose a house, you must think about what kind of pole you are going to put it on.  Martins like their houses to be ten to twenty feet off the ground.  Some poles are less cumbersome than others.

Wrens are not very choosy about their nesting place.  Nest boxes with a 1 inch X 2 inch horizontal slot are enticing to the wrens.  The Carolina wren requires a slot a little larger, 1 ½ in X 2 ½ inches.  However, the large the opening, the better the chances that house sparrows will occupy the box.  Wrens are known to fill the nest cavity with twigs, regardless of the fact they use the home to raise their young or not.  Since male wrens build several houses so that the female can have her choice of a home, you should hang several nest boxes at eye level on tree limbs that are partly sunlit.  Wrens are sociable.  Consequently, they will not shy away from a nest close to your house.

Brown creepers and Prothonotary warblers like nesting behind the curved bark of tree trunks.  Slab bark houses appeal to creepers in heavily wooded yards.  Prothonotary warblers, also, prefer slab bark houses or bluebird boxes attached to a tree trunk.  But their houses must be place over water such as a like, swamp or river with a good canopy of trees overhead.

Chickadees, Nuthatches and Titmice share the same habitatâ??feeders and food.  If you put a properly designed nest box in a wooded yard, at least one of these species is bound to check it out.  Chickadee houses should be placed at eye level.  They can be secured to tree trunks or hung from tree limbs.  The entrance h ole should be 1 1/8 inches in order to attract chickadees and exclude house sparrows.  Nuthatch houses should be anchored five to six feet off the ground.

Barn Swallows and Phoebes are easy to attract if you have the right habitat like an old shed or open barn.  Their nesting behavior, not their song or plumage, which at will catch your attention.  But they tend to nest where you rather not have them â?? on a ledge directly over your front door.  You can offer them a nesting shelf near the front door to prevent a mess right at the door.

Violet green and Tree Swallows prefer nest boxes attached to dead trees.  You should place the boxes about seven feet apart for these birds with white bellies and iridescent blue-green backs and wings.  These insect-eating birds like to be on the edge of a large field that has a river or lake nearby.

Violet-green swallows, generally, nest in the forested mountains of the West.  Boxes placed on large trees in a semi-open woodland will tend to attract them.

Woodpeckers of all types can be attracted with a suet feeder.  But, only, the flicker is likely to use a bird house.  They prefer a box with a roughened interior and a floor covered with two inches of layered wood chips or sawdust.  Flickers are, especially, fond of nest boxes filled with sawdust because they pile it up to suit themselves.  The box should be placed high up on a tree trunk, exposed to direct sunlight for best results.

Flycatchersâ??the great crested and its western cousin, the ash-throated flycatcher, are commonly, found in rural areas that have wooded lots and in wooded suburbs.  They use abandoned woodpecker holes for nesting sites.  Flycatchers tend to nest in a bird house if it is placed ten feet high in a tree in an orchard or at the edge of a field with a stream. 

Owls very rarely build their own nests.  Great-horned and long-eared owls like abandoned crow and hawk nests.   Most other species nest in tree cavities and bird houses.  Barn owls like selecting nesting sites near farms.  These birds will nest in barns, silos and church steeples where trees are sparse.  You can try fastening a nest box for owls about fifteen feet up on a tree trunk if you live near a golf course or farm.

Screech owls prefer abandoned woodpecker holes at the edge of a neglected orchard or field.  They will love boxes lined with an inch or two of wood shavings.  You may attract a second tenant in one seasonâ??a kestrel, if you clean out the box in late spring after the young owls have fledged.

You need to provide drainage, ventilation and easy access for monitoring and maintenance for the boxes.  A mixture of concrete and sawdust offers protection other houses cannot provideâ??squirrels cannot chew their way in.

 

If you have already put up some birdhouses in your own backyard, you are probably wondering how you are going to attract and get more birds to come and visit your birdhouses. This article provides some ideas that you can easily implement to attract more birds to your backyard and your birdhouses.

First, as with humans, food is always a popular way to attract birds to your birdhouses and your backyard. You can provide different kinds of food to cater to different types of species of birds. Some of these food include nectars, small insects, fruits, nuts and seeds. In addition to these food sources, you should also always provide fresh water to the visiting birds. Bird baths and small ponds are some good ways to provide the visting birds with water.

The fastest way to a bird’s heart is through its stomach. By providing food and water to the birds, you are performing bird feeding. Bird feeding is also a great way to observe different species of birds and their respective unique characteristics. Bird feeding is particularly important to birds because it provides them with a source of food and water during periods when food and water are scarce such as winter time. However, bird feeding can be done all year round as it supplements the visiting birds with their food needs. As such, its a great way to attract more birds to your birdhouses and backyard.

So how can you use this knowledge to attract more birds to your birdhouses and backyard ? For one, you can choose a safer spot in your backyard and set up a simple feeding station. The spot you choose should preferably be away from predators. You can take some precautionary measures to make the chosen spot safer like installing a ultrasonic cat deterrant and making sure there are no food near the spot so as to avoid attracting hungry animals. You can encourage birds to visit your feeding station by placing bird food in different areas around the feeding station. You can then vary the distance and shorten it as time goes by.

As mentioned, you don’t have to build or buy an elaborated feeding station. The most important factor that your feeding station should have is the ease in which you can maintain it. It should be easy to refill, it should display the food prominently to birds, it should also hold a reasonable amount of food so you do not have to keep topping it up with food and finally it should be able to hold more then one bird at one time. Some of the simple feeding station you can consider buying would be the tube-feeder in which the seeds stay dry and its design prevents spillage of food or you can choose the hopper type of bird feeders which dispenses food automatically when they are needed.

As for water, it is essential if you want to attract more birds to your birdhouses. You should note that different species of birds have different requirements of how deep they like their water source to be. For example, some species of birds like small puddles while other birds like bird baths that are relatively deep. Providing various depths of water will attract different species of birds. However, do take note that your water depth should not be more then 2 inches deep as some birds may drown and do not choose a bird bath with an elaborated and striking pattern or design at the bottom of the bath as it may confuse the birds and discourage them from using the bird bath.

Besides all the points mentioned above, you should also keep in mind the number one factor that influences the attractiveness of your birdhouse to visiting birds. What’s the number one factor that people always don’t take note ? Its the safety of your birdhouses to the visiting birds. If you are attracting a certain kind of species of bird, customize the entrance opening hole of the birdhouse to suit just the species of bird you want to attract. Removable of birdhouse perches and the reduction of backyard predators also play a big part in making your birdhouse safer and more attractive to birds.

One of the most effective and least expensive ways to attract wild birds to your yard is to make sure they have water for bathing and drinking. Lots of people who love watching birds, however, will put up feeders but neglect this simple method of attracting them. Water is important, and it’s frequently harder to find than food, especially during the droughts experienced in many parts of the country.

A bird bath will lure all kinds of birds, not just the seed eaters that come to your feeders. There are many wonderful, colorful birds that only rarely visit feeders but are very likely to make use of your bird bath: robins, cedar waxwings, orioles, brown thrashers, bluebirds, bobwhites, and indigo buntings.

Baths for birds come in all shapes and sizes, and don’t have to be expensive; the six to twelve inch pottery saucers you use under potted plants will work just fine. You can place them directly on the ground, or on your patio or deck. If yard space is hard to find, there are basins that can be mounted directly to your deck rail. If you have a handy tree limb, or an eave overhanging your deck, there are many bird baths that can be suspended. Mounting a basin on a pedestal creates an attractive centerpiece in a garden setting.

Several important things to keep in mind:

Make sure there is at least two feet of open space around the bath, with trees or bushes nearby for perching and preening. Pedestal types are best for any area where there are cats as birds can’t fly as well with heavy, wet feathers. Also, the birds are so happily involved in bathing activities, they’re not as alert. Keep the bath within easy reach of your garden hose, as you’ll need to keep it refreshed with clean water every day or two to avoid contamination and mosquitoes. It must be shallow – a gradual slope and no more than 2-3” deep at the deepest point. If the one you have already is too deep, add some rocks to raise the bottom. It should have a rough bottom surface for good footing. If yours is too slippery, add some of those non-skid stickers, like those that are made for your bathtub. Keep the bird bath open year-round with a de-icer, as birds need water in winter also. Maintaining a clean bath is extremely important. Once in awhile, you’ll have to clean out any algae by scrubbing with a stiff brush. Never use chemicals or common dish soap –a weak bleach solution with ¾ cup of Clorox to 1 gallon of water will work fine, or use a bird-safe birdbath cleaner. Rinse very thoroughly before refilling with clean water.

Movement of water enhances the appeal of the bird bath – a water wiggler is a fairly inexpensive way to create that movement.  Fountains can be expensive, but will certainly add to the attraction. Solar pumps are available that can be used in your birdbath or pond. Keep in mind that all it takes is one drip per second to provide a sound that is considered irresistible and may attract more birds than would ordinarily come. You can arrange this at no cost using your garden hose. Hummingbirds particularly love flying through a mister.

You’ll find that birds all have a different approach to bathing and drinking, but there is no mistaking how much they enjoy it. Watching them at your birdbath can be endlessly entertaining and amusing.