5 Landscaping Tips That Turn Your Yard Into A Wild Bird Haven

Birds can add a lot to the enjoyment of your yard, what with their pretty songs and entertaining antics. There are ways to improve your landscaping that will be sure to attract more birds. 

1. Create Layered Borders

Border beds both anchor and frame your landscaping, which is an attractive effect from a design point of view. You can further improve appearance while also creating bird-friendly features by layering the plants in the borders. Use a combination of plant heights, such as low-growing flowers, some small shrubs, and then some larger understory trees and shrubs. Layered borders provide coverage and plenty of perches that appeal to a wide variety of bird species. 

2. Provide Drinking Water

Like all animals, birds need water for both drinking and to aid in grooming. Setting out a dish of water is sufficient, but a better option is to integrate water into the landscape design. You will want to provide a shallow area for the birds to use — a pretty fountain or small pond works well. Pedestal-style and hanging bird baths are other options that can also be attractive. Further, elevated birdbaths can protect distracted drinking birds from ground-based predators. 

3. Layer In Feeding Stations

Consider your landscaping both a pleasant place to be as well as a feeding station for the birds. Choose landscaping plants that provide food for native birds, such as berry-producing shrubs, ornamental grasses that produce seed in winter, and nectar-filled blooms for hummingbirds. The more types of food available, the more species of birds you can expect to attract. These natural feeding stations can be supplemented by a variety of different bird feeder styles and types. 

4. Add Nesting Habitat

One way to ensure plenty of bird visitors in the landscape is to provide a place for them to raise families. You can add birdhouses or gourd houses through the yard. Putting in a bit of hardscaping to support the birdhouses can also add an ornamental touch to the landscape. For example, a pretty pergola is even prettier with an attractive birdhouse on each post. 

5. Minimize Disturbances

Disturbances from passing traffic, the neighbor's dog, or wandering predators can make your landscaping less attractive to birds. Fortunately, there are ways to minimize these disturbances. For example, you can erect an attractive solid fence around the yard to block traffic noises and predators. If traffic and neighbor disturbances are the main concern, then a living privacy screen of pretty hedge shrubs can provide the solution. 

Contact a landscaping contractor for help in planning and implementing a wild bird sanctuary in your yard.

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