How to Make a Yard Appealing to Birds

To make your yard appealing to birds, transform it into a thriving ecosystem rather than just a manicured garden. Replace conventional lawns, often referred to as “green deserts,” with native plant species that provide essential resources for birds. Focus on creating a haven that caters to the “big four for birds”: nesting sites, protective cover, natural food sources, and clean water.

Here’s some recommendations:

1. Emulate the layers found in a local, natural ecosystem. In Central Texas, where the natural landscape is characterized by a mix of grasslands, woodlands, and riparian areas, recreate this diverse ecosystem in your garden. Incorporate a variety of native plants that mimic the natural layers of the region, including tall trees for canopy cover, smaller understory trees, shrubs of varying heights, native grasses, and a rich tapestry of flowering perennials.
2. Plant regional native species that are appropriate for your landscape conditions. Native plants have evolved in tandem with the wildlife they support. For instance, native plants that produce fruit late in the season tend to have highly nutritious fruit timed for migrating songbirds.
3. Plant a diverse array of native species. In the adult stage, birds may be graminivores (seed-eaters), frugivores (fruit-eaters), insectivores (insect-eaters), carnivores (flesh-eaters) or omnivores (mixed diet). And then there are the omni-omnivores like blue jays that would probably eat a hot dog if you offered it to them.
4. Tolerate some messiness in your landscape. Resist the urge to cut back the dead stems of native flowering perennials and grasses; leave them standing through winter. Consider leaving a dead or dying tree standing in your landscape. Let fallen leaves remain in place; this “leaf litter” is a miniature ecosystem of invertebrates, which are a vital food source for foraging birds.
5. Change other “cultural” practices in your landscape. Keep your cats indoors; feline pets and feral cats kill between 1.3 and 4 billion birds each year in the United States. And forego pesticides; instead, plant native plants that attract natural insect predators and parasitoids, like ladybugs, that help keep unwanted pests in check. A truly bird-friendly landscape is pesticide-free.
6. Share the knowledge. Enjoy the rewards of making your landscape more bird-friendly, but don’t stop there. Build community and connectivity by sharing the knowledge with neighbors, family, friends and local organizations and municipalities.