How to Attract Birds
Love birds and want to create a place to spend more time in your yard? A birdhouse will help the feathered beauties spend more time near your home. In addition to making sure you provide a bird-friendly backyard habitat, you need to hang your birdhouse in the optimal location and consider the best types of birdhouses to use. Here's what you need to know about attracting birds to your backyard birdhouse.
Which Birds Use Birdhouses?
The first step to attracting birds to an aviary is knowing the nesting habits of your desired species. Cavity-nesting birds, such as bluebirds, chickadees, flycatchers, nuthatches, dragons, and wrens, and some species of ducks, use birdhouses or nest boxes. According to Zach Hutchinson, ornithologist and owner of FlockingAround, "More than 60 species routinely use a properly constructed and maintained aviary."
Tips for Attracting Birds to a New Birdhouse
Before setting up a birdhouse, several things must be considered to ensure success. And think about it from a bird's eye view. "Birds nest where needs are met," says Hutchinson.
1. Know the bird species in your area.
Setting up an aviary does not automatically guarantee that the birds will arrive at the new door. Learn about the bird species that live in your area. "I generally recommend that aviary enthusiasts seek to attract birds that already exist in their neighborhoods or in directly adjacent fields or forests," says Mark Parnell, ornithologist and best-selling author of The Birding Pros Field Guides. "This ensures that nearby foraging habitat is more accessible and the nest box will be found sooner."
2. Plant origin.
Make your backyard or front lawn a haven for many bird species by choosing the right plants. "Native flowers, grasses, shrubs, and trees provide native insects, which is a very important food source for almost all nestbox birds," Hutchinson says. Parnell adds, "Many birds naturally specialize in foraging, hiding, and native plant life and such a landscape fosters a more diverse bird ecosystem as a result."
3. Provide a water source.
Birds need water to drink and bathe. Providing a water source for the birds isn't feasible for everyone, but Hutchison knows that a natural basin that collects water will suffice. "Use a scalloped stone or a flat, shallow dish to collect rain and snow," Hutchinson says. "These collectors help our feathered friends have a semi-reliable water source."
4. Add a bird feeding station.
Set up the bird feeder for the bird species you want to attract. "Many birds follow the same feeding route each day, while others selectively choose breeding areas based on available resources: both of which can lead to the same backyard receiving reliable flocks of visitors for years to come," explains Parnell.
5. Provide brush piles.
If your yard is neat and tidy, find a place where you can leave some branches and yard debris called brush piles for wild birds to make a home. "Brush piles provide excellent shelter for many birds, which further increases the likelihood of a variety of species coming into your immediate surroundings," says Parnell.
6. Reduce predators.
Birds need to feel safe wherever they seek shelter. Make sure your aviary is within easy reach of birds but not predators. Remember that some bird species can prey on other birds. "House sparrows and European starlings are two aggressive, aggressive bird species that will try hard to displace your native nestbox users," Hutchinson says. "Use predator deterrents to keep raccoons, squirrels, mice, and snakes from crawling up your bird nest post and attacking the nest."
7. Choose an aviary for the bird species you want to attract.
Birds are particular about their nest and the type of aviary they prefer, so keep that in mind when choosing a birdhouse. “You wanted to target some birds "Look online for well-reviewed nest boxes that fit species-specific charts or recommended dimensions," says Parnell.
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