Birds can be a welcome visitor to your yard. Whether you are watching them out the window while you sip on a cup of coffee in the morning or from your porch in the evening, it can be a relaxing experience. Birds can also be helpful allies in keep your yard pest free as they eat a variety of insects.

It can take a little work to get your yard to be a stop for the birds in your area. By following these tips, you’ll make your yard the place to be for your feathered friends.

Bird Feeders

Offering a food source is the first step in attracting birds to your yard. If your goal is to attract more birds, add more feeders throughout your yard. By placing the feeders at different heights and using a variety of types of feeders, your odds of attracting various species of birds increases.

Also be aware of the type of feeders you use. Platform and ground feeders provide more space and can be good for ground feeding birds. Tube and hopper feeders give birds an area to perch while enjoying the food you’ve provided.

What you put in the feeders is also important. Different birds enjoy different foods. Researching what birds in your area enjoy can help you make the most of your feeders. Consider:

• Seed mixes help attract a variety of birds and can be easily purchased at many stores.
• Suet is a mix of seeds and animal fat, a good source of protein for birds.
• Black-oil sunflower is a popular option for many birds.
• Dried meal worms provide both fat and protein.
• Thistles is a favorite of gold finches.
• Want to attract hummingbirds?  Make sure to have nectar available.
• Plant trees and shrubs in your yard that provide birds a natural source of food like fruits, berries, and seeds.

In the end, it can be best to offer a “bird buffet” with various types of foods. Many birds enjoy berries, apples, oranges, peanuts, peanut butter, and cracked corn. It will take some experimenting to see what your native birds enjoy.

Bird Housing

You will want to let birds feel safe in your yard. Trees and large shrubs are good options to provide protection from the elements or even predators. These areas can also provide shade to birds on a hot summer afternoon. By adding bird houses or nesting boxes to your yard, you’ll give birds an extra reason to hang around.

Better yet, you may get to enjoy the experience of watching baby birds grow up. To help increase the chances of birds making your yard home, collect a pile of brush. This bundle of branches and leaves will provide nesting materials for a variety of birds.

Don’t forget to clean out the nesting box yearly. Once you’re sure the bird has moved on, clean it out in preparation. You might even get a repeat tenant when birds return to the area!

Bird Baths

By providing a water source, birds will spend more time in your yard. Bird baths allow for both bathing and a place for them to drink. There are a variety of bird baths you can choose from. A basic bird bath will have a bowl for water that the birds frolic in. You can also find heated bird baths for the cooler months.

If you buy a bird bath, consider installing it without the pedestal if it comes with it. Instead, place it on the ground or slightly raised above the ground. A lower placement can lead to more birds using it.

To help increase the number of bird visitors you see, create movement in the bird bath with water features. Circulating pumps, misters and drippers add an element of sound. And this could attract birds migrating through the area to your yard. If you’re a serious bird watcher, adding a pond that is bird-oriented is an option if you have the room. Just don’t make it too deep!

If you do add a bird bath to your yard, make sure to provide fresh water daily and clean it regularly. As beneficial as bird baths can be, contaminated water can spread disease.

By making your yard more friendly for the local birds, you’ll get view of nature right outside of your window.