Birds are a lovely addition to any garden and can make your space really come to life. As well as looking great in your space, they also have many practical uses as they can even help with pest control, weeding and pollination. So if you’re looking to attract small birds to your garden, take a look at our tips below, with advice on feeding, watering, shelter and everything else you need to know.
How Do You Attract Birds to Your Garden?
Birds can make any garden into a beautiful space that really comes to life, and can also benefit its ecosystem. By providing everything that a bird needs, you are likely to attract birds who may become regular visitors to your space! Below are our best tips on how to attract birds to your garden, which include:
- Planting bird-attracting plants
- Providing food
- Providing water
- Maintaining hygiene
- Providing shelter
- Protecting plants
Planting Bird-Attracting Plants
Growing certain plants can attract birds to your garden for a variety of reasons. For example, plants that grow berries will be attractive to birds as a food source, while others provide them with space for nesting and shelter. Below are some of our top recommendations for planting, with flowers and plants that birds love:
- Blackberry Plants - Blackberry plants such as Blackberry Loch Maree are ideal as a food source for birds, growing in clusters of 6-8 perfect fruits that birds will be sure to love.
- Sunflower Seeds - Sunflower plants are ideal for attracting birds, as their large seeds are an excellent food source for birds such as finches and sparrows.
- Cosmos Seeds - As well as looking vibrant within your growing space, cosmos plants attract birds through their black seeds. They also have the knock-on effect of attracting insects, thereby attracting birds as another food source.
- Borage Seeds - Planting this herb seed can attract birds in a similar manner to cosmos plants, attracting a range of insects that birds can feed on.
This list is not exhaustive, as there are many varieties of tree, shrub and other plants that can also provide birds with what they need. You can choose which to add to your garden based on your requirements and personal preferences.
Providing Food
Providing bird food within your garden is a key method of attracting birds to your garden. You should provide food to birds year-round, taking account of seasonal requirements such as increasing supplies due to increased feeding rates in winter.
As many birds are omnivores, they have a varied diet and will eat a range of foods. Though, the best way to attract them is to provide a bird feed with a range of seeds. Diets vary specifically between birds, so you will find that different kinds of bird food attract different birds.
You can buy bird food from our website, with many varieties available. Below are a few examples of what we offer, ideal for attracting a diverse range of birds:
- Bird Food Peanuts - Peanuts are high in protein and are popular with wild birds, such as blackbirds, robins, woodpeckers and wrens.
- Bird Food Berry Feast Mix - This mix includes rowan berries, blackberries, cranberries, peanuts and black sunflower seeds. Setting this mix in seed feeders or tabletops can attract finches, siskins, waxwings, redwings, and other thrushes.
- Bird Food Wheat Free Mix - This seed mix excludes wheat to prevent pigeons from being attracted while attracting smaller birds. It’s ideal for attracting finches, tits, blackbirds and thrushes.
You can experiment with different types of bird feed to see which ones best attract birds within your area. There are also many varieties of bird feeders that you can choose depending on what best suits your space. For example, you can choose a tube feeder, a hopper feeder or a feeding table.
Where you position your feeder is important, however, as birds are constantly checking their surroundings and won’t settle somewhere they feel unsafe. So, you should choose somewhere that is quiet, safe and sheltered from harsh winds. Note that placing a feeder too close to a bush will make birds feel unsafe though, as a predator could hide in one. However, a bush or similar covering should be somewhere nearby for birds to quickly to and from.
Providing Water
Providing water in your garden is equally important as providing food, so be sure to leave out fresh water each day to attract birds. This is especially useful for birds in the summertime when water can be more difficult for them to find. In winter, however, the water you leave out will freeze, so you will need to thaw it. However, you should do so with hot water from a kettle and not salt, as this can actually kill birds.
As well as drinking water, birds will be likely to spend time in your garden if you provide a bird bath. Fresh water is just as important for birds to drink as to bathe in, helping them to keep their feathers clean and in working condition. If you don’t have a birdbath, a bowl with a rim around it is also ideal for use.
Maintaining Hygiene
It’s essential that both feeders and water sources are kept clean regularly to avoid spreading infections or diseases between birds. Therefore, you should clean your feeder and bird bath each week with warm, soapy water. You should also maintain hygiene by using a non-toxic and mild disinfectant. After cleaning, make sure the feeder has fully dried before filling it again.
Providing Shelter
Birds are likely to appear in your garden if you provide them with a suitable space to nest for comfort and safety. As a result, hanging some nesting boxes in some sheltered, quiet areas of your garden will make it a more appealing space for them and more likely to attract them as a result.
Birds are likely to build their own nests, so another method of attracting birds is to leave out nesting materials such as twigs, leaves, straw and feathers for them to collect to make a nest nearby. With food and water available, it is likely that nesting nearby will be an attractive option for birds.
Protecting Plants
Though birds are a wonderful addition to any garden, you may need to give some thought to any plants not intended to attract birds. This is because they may feed on or damage other plants that you wish to protect. As a result, It is worth protecting these plants specifically with garden netting. There are many useful netting products you can find in our shop, with options for netting, tunnels and cages to protect your plants effectively.
Products to Attract Birds to Your Garden at D.T. Brown Seeds
At D.T. Brown Seeds, you can find many fantastic products to help you attract birds to your garden. With bird food, a wide range of flower seeds and more gardening supplies of superior quality, our collection has everything you need to attract all kinds of wildlife to your garden. So, take a look and get birds flocking to your garden!
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Looking to learn more gardening tips? You can find plenty more advice from our experts over on our gardening blog. If you’d like to find out more about our range of vegetable garden seeds and plants, fruit seeds, and fruit plants, don’t hesitate to get in touch and we’ll happily answer any questions you may have.
