If you enjoy the singing of birds in your backyard you might wish to draw in more birds. They are a sight to see when you have a pair of cardinals, yellow finches, and the robins visit your yard. Let’s see if we can come up with a healthy backyard bird habitat for them and help keep them safe at the same time. It can be a real rewarding experience watching their daily activity and listening to them sing. The best way to get started is to realize that there are only three basic things that they need: food, shelter and water. Just like our needs. When you provide these you will soon have a family of birds nesting in your yard. They will give you many hours of enjoyment and entertainment.
It is best if you provide a variety of food. Birds like to eat insects, but also enjoy feeding on seeds and nuts. You do not have to provide these for them. If they have plenty of trees and other plants available it will naturally provide a food supply. Some of the best are sunflower, cranberry bushes and oak trees. These are just a few suggestions. Different types of bird feeders allow you to provide other seeds that they will enjoy.
Don’t forget that they will need a water supply close by. It is wonderful if you have a natural stream or creek, but not all of us do. Man-made ponds are great too. But most of us rely on bird baths and fountains. Due to predators, always a problem, you will need to position these in an open area so they can be on watch at all time.
Next we need to provide shelter for our birds. Trees and shrubs are the best, but not all of us have them. So it may be up to us to provide bird houses to give them a safe place for nesting. But remember that birds can be territorial and fight others if they are too close. So place these houses far enough apart so they will be able to nest in a relaxed environment. Also not all birds like the same type of house. Place the bird house in the proper place for the bird you hope to attract in this house.
Birding is fun. So let’s make it a good experience by creating the most natural backyard bird habitat possible.
Molly has been writing about birds for over 10 years. Please visit her latest website about backyard birds at Best Bird Feeders, with information about finch bird feeders, as well as many more interesting backyard bird discussions. Check here for free reprint licence: {title}.