Attracting Birds to your Garden

Crested Pigeon

Attracting native birds to your garden has many benefits. Birds are pleasing to both the ears and eyes and inspiring to watch, providing much pleasure for the soul. Native birds also provide many essential functions in our ecosystem by assisting in pollination and insect control, etc.

Attracting native birds to your garden is easy. Birds feed on nectar, seeds, and insects. By providing a large range of native plants in your garden you attract a diverse range of birds.

Birds require homes in which to live and breed. In order to provide homes for a diverse range of birds, it is essential to have a variety of layers in your garden that comprise of upper canopy, middle canopy, understory and ground stratum plants. If there are no habitat trees with hollows suitable for birds to nest in, the provision of nesting boxes assists in maintaining bird populations.

planning your garden, select a mixture of plants to provide year-round flowering so that honeyeaters can become permanent residents.

Some plants that attract honeyeaters, such as Grevillea ‘Scarlet Sprite’, also provide a prickly hideaway for smaller birds seeking protection from predators and larger birds.

Many other birds rely on the seeds of grasses, shrubs and trees for food. Seed eating birds range from tiny finches to huge yellow-tailed black cockatoos. Native grasses, Eucalyptus, Acacias, Hakeas, Casuarinas and Banksias produce the seed that will attract seed eating birds into your garden.

Melaleuca squarrosa – Scented Paperbark

Birds need water as well. If your garden does not have a permanent source of water it is a good idea to provide a bird bath that is cleaned and fresh water added regularly.

In today’s competitive world, birds also appreciate help in reducing invasion of their habitats from exotic birds such as starlings. Indian mynas, etc. Don’t be afraid to remove exotic plant species from your garden that provide habitat for many of these unwanted birds. Before you remove any exotic trees please check with your local council regarding tree preservation orders, etc.

Callistemon citrinus – Bottlebrush

Birds also need protection from feral cats, dogs, and foxes, etc. Some local councils can also assist you in reducing numbers. Domestic animals such as cats and dogs can also impact on our local bird populations, so please restrain or train your pets if they present a threat to birds.

Many small birds will not venture out into open areas in fear of being predated open. If your garden is isolated from areas of other significant vegetation (ie. bush, parks, other gardens) you may need to plant some wildlife corridors to allow birds to travel in safety to your garden.

Enjoy the delights and benefits that birds bring to your life.