How to Attract Birds to Your Garden
One of the great and constant delights I have in my interest in birding is to witness the constant movement and activity of birds in our garden. Many of the articles on this blog come directly from observations of birds in the garden. Many of the photos appearing on this blog and in my photo gallery have been taken in the garden or nearby.
People who have an interest in birds often ask “How can I attract more birds to my garden?” There are some simple ways of ensuring a greater number of birds in your garden which will, in turn, bring many hours of pleasure over many years. Here are some simple “rules” to help you:
- Water: Provide a constant source of water, such as a pond, bird bath or dripping tap into a bowl.
- Food: Provide a variety of native trees and bushes that become a suitable food source. (In Australia – never put out food like parrot seed for them).
- Protection: Never let your cat roam the garden – and actively discourage neighbour’s cats from entering your garden.
- Safety: Provide a safe environment for the birds by not using any poisons like snail bait in your garden.
These are simple and effective methods of ensuring a safe and happy habitat for the birds in your garden.
For more information, go to the Bird Observers Club of Australia website. They have available two downloadable leaflets on attracting birds to your garden. Highly recommended.
Links:
- Attracting Birds to your Garden – part 1
- Attracting Birds to your Garden – part 2
- Bird Observers Club of Australia – one of our largest birding clubs.
- Garden Birds – over 80 articles from my archives about birds in gardens, mostly our garden.
New Holland Honeyeaters
That’s the cutest bunch of NHH I’ve ever seen! What a top photo, Trevor.
Thanks Snail. We really get so much pleasure out of watching the antics of the birds in our bird baths. Sometimes I sit at the table in the sunroom – with the bird bath in full view – and try to write. The distraction is too great – I never can concentrate on the writing!
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if i want to attract birds for our school how can i attract rain bow lorikeet’s please help me
birds ARE SO COOL
I agree Marni – that’s what this blog is all about – enjoying our birds.
I found a baby Pee Wee stuck behind the drinks machine on my local railway station. It was not difficult to pick up and put in my hat and into my canvas bag and take home. I have been looking after it for 4 weeks now and it can now fly and sit in the trees out the back and when I go away it greets me and calls for food on my return. It is now free to go away when it wants and that will probably be when its winter or mating season, meanwhile it good to have a little winged friend.
Hi there Neville – welcome to my blog about birds. Well done for rescuing that baby bird. It is good that you are allowing it to go free when it chooses. It may well decide that your garden is its preferred home.
Happy bird watching.
Dear Trevor, thank you for your email. Happily the bird has picked up with other birds and is now not about my yard but it was almost fully grown by the time it took flight to its freedom. I do miss the bird and still look into the trees to see if it has come back but the fact that it has not is a good sign that it no longer needs my care. All is well I am sure. Kindest regards, Neville
Thanks for the feedback Neville – good news indeed.
Yes, I totally agree!
birds are cool
I used to have a Tawny Frogmouth sit on my clothes line of a night. I haven’t seen it for a few weeks. I only hope it didn’t eat a cane toad although I do my best to rid my yard of these pests. I’m unsure how to attract these birds of prey to the yard think you just have to have food sources for other animals so they will be interested.
what can you do to attract eagles to garden
Hi Lachlan,
Eagles, hawks kites and owls are not easy to attract to a garden. If you are providing food for smaller birds by planting lots of Australian plants, this might eventually attract birds of prey. They generally don’t hang around in one spot, but range over a large territory, so even if you have a suitable habitat in your garden, they will only ever be occasional visitors.
I had a yellow tailed black cockatoo land in my garden the other day. Usually they only fly over. I enjoyed watching it sit in the trees for a brief time. I would like to plant some Hakea’s etc to attract them back.
Does anyone know a favourite species of plant or what else may attact these beautiful birds back to my yard.