Songbirds' natural habitats are dwindling, but you can help replenish them by making your backyard a safe haven for all the birds you love most. Provide them with food, get a bath tub and create places where they can nest; in doing so your garden will become much more inviting and you will be amazed by the many species that you will be able to attract.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Provide Food
Step 1. Research the birds in your area
Identify which species live or migrate to your region and which ones could potentially settle on your property. The best thing is to get a practical guide so that you know the volatile fauna you want to try to attract. Keep in mind that bird species very often vary according to the season.
Step 2. Get a bird feeder
The type of food you choose will affect which species they will be attracted to. Regardless of the model, the feeder should have some essential qualities: it should be difficult for squirrels to access, keep food dry and be easy to clean. Bird feeders must be washed regularly, so that fungi do not form inside the food and they do not become a source of disease. The most common models are listed below:
- Tray feeders are simple flat containers that allow birds to access seeds without difficulty. The disadvantage of this model is that the seeds are also reachable by squirrels and other wild animals, in addition to the fact that it has no protection from the elements.
- The box feeders keep the seeds in a sheltered indoor area where the birds can eat from a small basin positioned in the lower area of the feeder.
- The feeders attached to the windows of the house with suction cups offer a complete view of the intense activity of the birds.
- Suet lard is designed to offer this delicacy that attracts several birds as much as seed feeders.
- Hummingbird feeders are built to dispense water and sugar through a tube.
Step 3. Get some seeds and other nutrients
What bird species do you hope to attract? If you want all of the native species in the area to be close to each other, it's a good idea to have different types of food to offer a lot of variety. The most suitable for feeding birds are listed below:
- Corn is a favorite of almost all birds, but it is important to put in enough quantity for a day or two because it attracts all kinds of animals. You also need to be very careful about the source of corn, as the particularly cheap corn is often contaminated with pesticides, which are toxic to birds. Don't feed the birds corn that comes wrapped in plastic bags or corn that has been dyed red.
- Sunflower seeds are very popular with all granivorous birds, so they are a good choice if you want to approach a large variety of species. However, you must often remove the shells that remain on the feeder; also know that even squirrels are greedy.
- White millet is a tasty treat for cardinals, quail, sparrows, pigeons and crows. It is also very popular with house sparrows and other animals. Safflower seeds are great for attracting cardinals, blackcaps, doves, sparrows and frosoni. Peanuts are also very popular, but they easily deteriorate if they are left outdoors for too long. Hummingbirds love to drink sugar water.
- Lard, the fat found around the organs of cattle and sheep, attracts woodpeckers, nuthatches, wrens, jays and starlings. Peanut butter is a great food to provide in the winter, as it is very nutritious. Make sure it doesn't contain any additives.
Step 4. Know which foods to avoid
Birds can be easily poisoned by food that is contaminated or contains substances that are difficult for their delicate digestive system to metabolize. Make sure you buy only high-quality seeds or suet. Some bird food manufacturers often don't care about quality and offer cheaper products, so it's worth the extra effort and picking up a more expensive brand. Here are some foods you shouldn't put in the feeders:
- Fillers such as red millet, golden millet and flax. Birds do not like to eat these seeds, but they are often marketed as low-cost mix fillers. Make sure you always check the ingredients of the packages you buy. Fat from bacon or other meats. They are often foods that contain nitrates and other ingredients that are harmful to birds.
- Bread, crackers or other industrially processed carbohydrates, as they may contain harmful substances.
Step 5. Install the feeder in a safe place
If you want it to be located close enough to your home so that you can see it easily, place it no further than 1m from the window. If you place it further away it can be dangerous for the birds, as they could fly to the feeder at a higher speed and risk colliding with the glass (an event that occurs often and kills millions of birds every year). You have to place it far enough away from the tree branches so that squirrels or other small wild animals cannot jump from the tree to the manger.
Step 6. Keep the power supply in order regularly
It is important to change the food often and clean the container every 2-3 weeks with soap and water. Otherwise, fungi and bacteria can contaminate the feeder, the food, and potentially kill the birds that eat it. Pay more attention to the feeding of birds during rainy periods, because if the seeds get wet they can germinate and begin to develop fungi and bacteria. Food that has fallen to the ground must be collected, otherwise it can attract unwanted insects and animals.
Step 7. Get some sand for the birds
Since they do not have teeth to chew food, some species swallow some sand to grind the food into their gizzards. You can help them in this process by putting crushed eggshells; they also have a second purpose, that of providing the calcium that the birds need to lay their eggs. Be sure to cook eggshells to kill salmonella and other pathogens before placing them in the feeder. Broken oyster shells are also another great choice.
Method 2 of 3: Create Nesting Points
Step 1. Plant native plant species
Use a practical guide to the area to find out which trees grow wild in your region and plant some in your garden. These will certainly attract birds more easily than exotic plants. A good variety of native trees, shrubs and grasses will provide natural shelter for the birds.
- Evergreen trees and shrubs, such as hollies, are perfect for providing shelter for birds during the winter.
- Many birds are attracted to fruits and berries, so you can also think about planting an apple tree or blueberry bush.
Step 2. Offer shelter to your friends with wings
Different species nest in different places, so again, it's a good idea to conduct research on the type of birds you want to attract. If you want to buy a house or build a nest yourself, know that based on the shape, the different holes it has and the orientation based on the sun, it will attract different species.
Make sure that the nest has adequate ventilation and that it has a reinforcement ring and a "diaphragm" at the entrance to prevent predators from entering
Step 3. Create a place where they can nest with natural materials
If you want their nest to be more natural, an easy way to do it is to let the grass and shrubs of the yard grow a little wilder. Avoid cutting the grass in a specific point and build a pile of branches in the area. Try to simulate the type of environment birds tend to nest in the wild.
- If necessary, you can also provide suitable material for the birds themselves to build their own nests, such as ropes, hair or other fibers. You can also fill a mesh bag with pieces of thread, strings, straw, animal hair, hair that you can pick from the comb, small pieces of fabric, and anything else a bird can use to make a nest. Hang the bag near the nest box in spring.
- Do not remove dead trees, unless they are a danger. If these remain erect they are excellent places where many species of birds can take refuge, shelter and hunt for food, especially woodpeckers, which eat the insects that infest dead trees.
Method 3 of 3: Make the Garden More Inviting
Step 1. Provide the birds with a source of water
Birds are attracted to the sound of dripping water in motion. You can buy a basin of water or create a shallow pond with a fountain. Make sure it is close to the ground and made of non-slippery material. If you don't have much time or resources, you can hang a container filled with water with a hole in the bottom on a plate. Try not to place the source of water near trees or bushes where cats chasing birds can hide. Also, make sure that the water does not exceed 2.5 cm in depth.
During the winter, it would be a good idea to set up a heated water source, otherwise the birds would have to melt the ice with their own body heat. Prevents stagnant algae from growing or hiding in the water. Get a container that is easy to clean
Step 2. Don't use pesticides on your lawn
They are harmful to birds for more than one reason. First, they kill vital food sources for some bird species. Additionally, chemicals in pesticides can be dangerous when ingested. If you want to attract birds to your property, use natural forms of pest control (biological or integrated pest control) instead of chemicals.
Step 3. Keep cats away
These felines are one of the main predators of songbirds and kill millions of them every year. Regardless of how hospitable you have made your garden, if you have a cat hanging around, many species won't feel welcome! If your goal is to call birds, you need to keep your cat away from their food, water and nesting area.
Advice
- Do not be discouraged if the birds do not immediately come to the habitat you have prepared for them. They are often very cautious when there are changes in their environment, and it will take some time for them to adapt to the new feeder or water pan.
- Keep everything clean: from the manger, to the nest to the water sources.
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Don't rake the leaves!
The birds feed on the insects that hide under the dead leaves in spring.
- Try giving them different types of seeds and some lard.
- Different bird species love different nests. Search the internet to find some types of birdhouses that live in your area.
- If you can, buy houses that are made by companies that mainly sell items for birds. They will certainly be of better quality and protect them better.
- If you are not particularly motivated, do not have the time or the resources to create a suitable environment in your garden where birds can live, you can always help to create a "community" one with the neighbors. Make an offer of money and / or devote a few hours of volunteering to animal defense organizations and associations, such as LIPU, which protect and protect birds.
Warnings
- Never give the birds fluff from the dryer that contains dyes or chemicals (which are used to make the clothes fireproof) as a material to build the nest. These are very dangerous substances. Other fabrics are acceptable.
- Do not place the houses too close to each other. Each bird establishes its own territory and conflicts may arise between the different birds.
- Avoid touching the birds' nests or eggs if you come across them.
- Try in every way to avoid the use of chemical pesticides; Parent birds looking for food for their young could bring poisoned insects to the nest and entire generations of young could be killed by the poison sprayed on corn. Become an organic gardener!
- During the winter, never add antifreeze to the water. This product is highly toxic and would kill any bird, wild or pet that were to drink from the container, as well as causing severe harm and even death in humans. The antifreeze has a sweet taste, which can attract all animals that approach and smell or taste it. To overcome the problem of freezing, you can buy heaters specially designed to thaw ponds or fountains for birds. You can also let a tennis ball float in the water to easily break and remove the ice.
