There's nothing quite like waking up in the morning to the sight and sound of birds singing in your garden. Even though my home garden is in the middle of the city and on a busy street, I am happy to say that this is a common occurrence for me, and has benefited my garden and my life in many ways. Besides the sweet music they provide, birds also eat pest insects and weed seeds, making them the best helpers a gardener could wish for!Just as it's important to build good soil and use the right plant/right place philosophy in order to have success in your garden, it's important to start with the basics in order to have success in attracting birds. The 4 main elements that all birds need are:
1) Water. Besides needing water to drink, birds need to bathe as part of their frequent preening, which keeps their feathers in good condition for flying and insulation. A wide, shallow birdbath that has a gradual, non-skid slope works best for a wide variety of birds to wade into, from chickadees to flickers. A fountain with a gentle spray or a misting attachment attracts hummingbirds, which like to fly though water to drink and bathe. Birdbaths need to be whisked out and refilled with fresh water at least once or twice a week year-round in order to remain clean, and should be located within 5 ft. of a shrub or tree for quick and safe getaway.
2) Shelter. The way your garden is designed and maintained is the biggest factor in this element. Birds need shelter from predators like hawks, who can swoop down on them if they are out in the open for long. They also need shelter from the cold and wind of winter, as well as the heat of summer. Designing a hedgerow into one or more perimeter areas of your garden is the answer. A hedgerow is a variety of deciduous and evergreen shrubs and/or small trees, planted fairly close together. This gives birds good weather protection, and the ability to travel through your garden by taking short flights from branch to branch rather than crossing large open areas.
The pruning done in your hedgerow should enhance the natural form of its trees and shrubs rather than shearing them into a wall, and pruning should be avoided during the nesting season.
3) Food. A well-designed hedgerow also provides a variety of food for birds in the form of fruit and seeds. It is wise to include native plants, as they are lovely to look at and have been a food source for birds for centuries, drawing them into your garden like a magnet. Songbirds will forage for berries and seeds from branches as well as from the ground beneath, and clean plants of annoying insects such as aphids. I grow a few non-native plants that are known for rampant re-seeding, and even those are held in check by the song sparrows, juncos, and other seed-eating songbirds in my garden.
You can also provide bird feeders in your garden, but if you live in an urban or suburban area, use feeders that are specifically designed to exclude non-native birds such as English house sparrows and European starlings, which are well known to displace and even harm our native songbirds. Ground feeders are not recommended, as they can attract unwanted pigeons and rodents. Most of our native Western Gray Squirrels have been displaced in urban areas by Eastern Grays, which also can be aggressive towards songbirds, so squirrel feeders are best avoided.
4) Nesting Places. A hedgerow can also provide nesting places for birds that weave their nests into the branches of trees and shrubs. But cavity-nesting birds have an especially difficult time in urban and suburban areas, since hollow or rotting trees are hard to come by. Most decorative birdhouses are just that- good for decoration only- but nest boxes that are made to the right dimensions will easily attract chickadees and wrens. All year long, but especially when their young are ravenous for food, these insect-eating songbirds will clean your garden of all pests!
RESOURCES: The Audubon Society store at 8050 35th Ave NE in Seattle is the best local place to find proper feeders and food, and nest boxes with the right dimensions. They also have a large selection of books about building nest boxes, bird identification, etc. Visit their website at www.seattleaudubon.org.
RESPONSIBILITY: The responsibility that comes with attracting birds to your garden is to protect what you attract! Position all feeders and birdbaths close to shelter so that birds can make a quick getaway from predators. Don't use any pesticides or herbicides in your garden, and don’t be too tidy. Birds will enjoy the seeds from spent flower heads, and the shelter of spent foliage.
And keep your pet cats indoors, even if you never see them with a dead or injured bird. It is estimated that domestic house cats kill millions of songbirds every year in the U.S., and most of this tragedy is never witnessed by humans. Bells on their collar or being well fed makes no difference. I used to think that indoor cats were miserable until I made the change and found that both of my cats adapted quickly and remain completely content to this day. The joy of witnessing the generations of songbirds that have been safely born and raised in my garden, and who return year after year, more than makes up for the little bit of hassle in remembering to close the screen door. I urge you to consider making this change yourself. Your beloved cat will live longer too! For more info, visit the American Bird Conservancy website at www.abcbirds.org and click on the Cats Indoors link.
