How to Attract Birds to Your Backyard

Last Updated on April 20, 2021 by Diane Hoffmaster

If you are looking for a fun and educational activity to do with your kids, you definitely need to learn how to attract birds to your backyard.  Whether you want them to eat at your feeder or nest in your yard, make these changes to attract more birds to your outdoor space.

What things attract birds? Be earth friendly!

Why attract birds to your yard? Because bird watching is not only a fun hobby, it's also a great way to keep bugs from eating your garden plants.

I love listening to the birds sing their morning songs in the spring.  Knowing they are eating all those annoying caterpillars makes me even happier!

Many bird species are becoming endangered thanks to humans.  We bulldoze over their natural homes, spray insect killer to destroy their food and let our cats outside to hunt them.

Helping support your local bird population will go a long way towards ensuring the survival of many species of birds.

The best thing you can do to attract birds to your feeder is to make your entire yard bird friendly.  From ground cover to skipping the pesticides, earth friendly choices are usually bird friendly as well.

How to Attract Birds to Your Backyard

"Why are birds not coming to my bird feeder?" you ask?  Where should I place a bird feeder anyhow?

From the food you offer to your outdoor cat, here are a few things to consider in your hunt for a few feathered friends.

Provide the right type of bird food

This seems rather simple but you really need to research the type of birds you have in your area. Not all birds eat seeds!

Providing a variety of food choices like insects, fruits, seeds, nuts, etc. is a smart choice.  Place several feeders in different locations around the yard so that they have multiple places to feed from.

Many birds get a bit territorial and don't want other species at 'their' feeder.  Here are a few types of food that might be enjoyed:

Black-Oil Sunflower is the most popular bird seed, and attracts a variety of birds to your feeder.  Blue jays, cardinals, chickadees, finches, nuthatches, and sparrows love it.

Thistle or Nyjer is a small, high quality, seed that goldfinches love. Thistle seed requires a special bird feeder with smaller holes.  Check out these thistle feeders on Amazon.

Seed mixes are popular for beginners because they attract many different types of birds.  They can be messy though because birds pick over unwanted seeds and toss them away.

Suet is basically a cake of animal fat and is a healthy source of protein for birds, especially in the winter months.  When food is scarce, suet may be a lifeline for many birds in your yard. Suet is often mixed with some seeds and served through suet cages.

Nectar is colored sugar water and requires a hummingbird feeder.  Hummingbirds are the most notable nectar-loving birds but the increasingly rare oriole is a fruit-eating bird that also enjoys nectar.

Smorgasbird: there are many other types of food that you can feed birds. Many birds enjoy peanuts, peanut butter, cracked corn, millet, apple pieces and oranges.   You can find a wide variety of bird feeders on Amazon for many different types of food.

Keep out intruders and predators

Keep your cat inside and away from bird feeders if you expect to see birds in your backyard.  Not your cat?

Try to keep out the neighbor's cat whenever possible, too.  Amazon has a number of cat repellents that might work.

In addition, if you put a bird feeder in your yard to attract birds and the squirrels and chipmunks eat all the seed, you will not be attracting birds to your yard!

Look for bird feeders that are resistant to other types of wildlife. Install a squirrel baffle over your feeder to keep away the squirrels.

Know what foods to avoid

Just like some foods are toxic to dogs, there are several foods that are not good for birds.  Bacon drippings often contain nitrates and other ingredients that are harmful to birds.

Bread, crackers or other processed carbohydrates can have ingredients that are not good for them as well.

Provide a water source for your backyard birds

A birdbath will be used by birds not only to drink but also as a place to bathe.  A pond or fountain also makes a great water source for backyard birds.

If you can't afford to install something, consider a drip hose.  Just using a drip hose to water your landscaping in the morning can encourage birds to come visit your yard.

When should you put out a bird feeder?

The first migrating birds may appear as early as February, When the first birds start coming through and finding food, make sure they can find some in your yard.

Many others will follow!  Once they know that your yard offers food and water, others will figure it out and start visiting as well.

 

Leave the leaves

Leaf litter is a great place for bugs to live.  And where bugs live, birds often follow.

Leave a small portion of your yard 'naturally landscaped' and let the leaves stay behind to degrade naturally.  This will encourage many bird species to come check out your yard.

Provide shelter

Not only do you need to learn how to attract birds to your back yard, you need to figure out a way to keep them there.

Birds are skittish creatures with many natural predators.  Make sure they have convenient places to hide like trees and bushes that are not too far from your food and water source.

Skip the pesticides

Once you have learned how to attract birds to your backyard, don't kill them with chemicals!

Choose organic gardening methods and stop spraying your yard with chemicals to ensure a healthy bird population.

Bird baths, bird feeding stations, and plenty of space to hide are all key creating a bird friendly space.

Have any other tips on how to attract birds to your backyard? Leave a comment and let me know what kind of birds you have seen so far this year.

Learn how to protect your bird feeder from squirrels with this post!