A Guide to Attracting Birds
Bird watching is one of the most popular past times in the world. In addition to being fascinating and entertaining to watch, they also add beauty and music to your yard. Their value doesnt stop here. They also help to keep down insect populations on your property making your yard more enjoyable. If you would like to reap the rewards of having birds frequent your property then you need to provide them with a few basic resources. In addition to Plants that Attract Birds, here are ways to attract birds to your garden.
Food
One of the easiest ways to attract birds to your yard is to provide them with a food source. You can offer bird feeders with seed, you can grow fruit in your yard, or you can provide them with a suet feeder. If you dont know what type of food the birds in your neighborhood like to eat you can visit your local library to check out a book on birds, or you can contact your local chapter of the Audubon Society.
Water
In addition to attracting birds with food, you will also need to provide them with a water source. A birdbath can not only provide your feather friends with a water source, but it can also be an easy way to add character to your yard. Birdbaths can be made from just about anything from a ceramic planter to a molded piece of cement.
Home
Like any other living creature, birds need a safe place to raise their families. If you want to attract birds to your yard you should provide them with nesting locations. If you want to attract smaller birds then build, or buy, bird houses with smaller openings. This will encourage small song birds to take up residence on your property. If you want to attract larger birds then you will need to provide larger bird houses or nesting sites.
Protection from Predators
Protection from predators is very important to add to your yard if you want to attract birds. Create hiding spots for birds that are out of the reach of your pets. Place feeders on poles to keep cats and wildlife from eating the birds food, as well as from eating the birds. Squirrel guards can also be added to your feeders to protect the bird food.
Respect
The final thing that you need to attract birds to your yard is respect for the animals. While some birds are less skiddish around people, most bird species dont like to be approached, chased, or harassed. While it is nice to watch your bird neighbors do what they do, make sure that you give them plenty of room to live, especially around nesting season. Too much human interference can cause a bird to abandon its nest leaving the baby bird vulnerable to predators and the elements. To get a closer look of your birds use binoculars.
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