I KNOW WHAT BIRDS LIKE. Boys, perhaps not so much (tee, hee), but birds—well, there I’ve got the knack. As many as 60 species that I can identify visit me each year here in the garden, which was originally planted for attracting them and seems to have succeeded. Fall is a perfect time to add some bird-friendly plantings, since many are woody plants, and also to provide for the most important thing off all: water. Big surprise–it’s all about keeping them fed, watered and sheltered in every season. Here are the essentials:
WATER IS REQUIRED 12 MONTHS A YEAR, preferably moving water; curious birds cannot resist a drip or spillway, such as the little waterfalls in each of my two small garden pools. Even when those are shut down due to deep-freeze of December through March, I keep part of each pond unfrozen with a floating heater originally designed for keeping stock tanks open for farm animals, like a hotplate that floats. Smaller models are available for birdbaths.
LESS MOWN LAWN means more botanical complexity, which fosters more birdfood in the form of insects and seeds. I leave a section above my house unmown each year, but here’s something even better to create where you eliminate a swath of grass:
EDGE HABITAT, the place where field meets woods, for instance, is where the action is for many birds: a place to hide, and for some species even to nest, an often food-rich jumble of shrubbery and vines. Think hedgerow; I use a lot of winterberry holly (Ilex verticillata) as a backbone of all such islands here; the island on the far right (above) is mostly winterberry and viburnum. Add this transitional zone somewhere in your garden, perhaps along the road or another boundary, or create an island shrub border of bird-friendly plants (ideas below). Mix it up (thorns, evergreen, vines, fruit, seedheads, nectar-rich flowers) to make a multi-season destination.
A BRUSHPILE in some out-of-the-way corner is another great hiding place, especially in harshest weather, though perhaps impractical for the small garden (making the brushy “edge habitat,” above, even more important).
EVERGREEN COVER is an aesthetic and wildlife-friendly element of any garden, providing shelter from weather, nesting sites, plus seed-rich cones or other fruits, such as those of the Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana), for which the beautiful Cedar waxwing that feasts on it is named. Spruce (Picea species) and firs (Abies, such as the blue A. concolor behind the pear and crabapples, above) also seem to get a lot of bird action here in particular; desirable species of all foods will vary by region and bird populations.
NEST BOXES are a great addition to the garden, especially where there are no big old trees, since cavity-nesting species like Eastern bluebirds or tree swallows won’t build a next on a shelf (like flycatchers will) or in a brushy thicket (like some sparrows). Think about whether you have all three kinds of nesting places to attract a diversity of birds looking for a place to raise a family. Here’s some nestbox guidance.
A CHEMICAL-FREE ENVIRONMENT is essential; birds (like frogs and snakes, among others) are canaries in a coal mine (sorry) for toxic elements, and their favorite foods are even more vulnerable. Don’t taint the habitat you create; get off the lawncare regimen and see a vast increase in worms and other soil life, the favorite food of robins and flickers, among others. Bugs are birdfood; most birds are at least partly insectivorous, so obsessive anti-bug campaigns impact the quality of your habitat. Use least-toxic methods like your hose-end sprayer, hand-picking, row covers, or soaps and oils to thwart the ones you must, but not chemical insecticides. Ditto with lethal herbicides and fungicides, of course.
CLEAN FEEDERS, IF YOU OFFER SEED: Thoroughly clean and sterilize your feeders regularly with a dilute bleach solution (1:10 bleach to water) or just hot, soapy water to prevent disease. Even a 12-month birdfeeder (many people feed only in winter) is no substitute for food-rich habitat; in a successful wildlife garden, birds will come year-round even when there are no feeders, though feeders will bring them closer to the house, where you can see them (as will that Number 1 item up top, water).
THE RIGHT DIVERSITY OF LIVING FOODS: Plan the landscape for a combination of seeds (such as from grasses, Composite or daisy-like flowers, fruiting plants, and conifers); fruits for each season, including not just the sugary, watery ones of summer, but some high-lipid ones that hang on as hollies do into into winter. Large numbers of native plants, even in a garden like mine that includes many non-natives like the Kousa dogwood and its fruit (above), prove highly appealing; go heavy on them. Nectar-loving hummingbirds will appreciate trumpetvine (Campsis radicans), honeysuckles (Lonicera species), and flowering sages (Salvia species), among others. And remember: Most everyone wants insects for supper, so discriminate in your bug-killing, please. My garden’s top bird-attracting plants from a food standpoint (by no means a complete list, and varies widely by region):
Trees and Shrubs
Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis, also great for jelly and jam; I grow these);
Blueberry and raspberry (Vaccinium and Rubus species; plant extra for birds);
Chokeberry (Aronia arbutifolia and A. melanocarpa);
Dogwoods (especially Cornus florida; C. mas, also some twig species, C. alternifolia and C. kousa);
Oaks (for their acorns, attractive to some woodpeckers, jays and grouse);
Spicebush (Lindera benzoin, for fruit);
Viburnum species (couldn’t garden without these);
Crabapple (Malus varieties, such as ‘Ralph Shay,’ top photo);
Apple and Pear (orioles like the blossoms; many birds peck at the fruit and its seeds, even when mummified in winter);
Sumac (Rhus typhina ‘Laciniata,’ the cutleaf staghorn, and others for their fruit);
Hollies (Ilex verticillata, or winterberry, and others);
Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana, for fruits and shelter);
Spruces (Picea species, for seed-rich cones, shelter, nesting);
Firs (Abies concolor and A. koreana; cones, shelter, nesting);
Shadbush (Amelanchier, summer fruit);
Spikenard (Aralia spinosa, and A. cordata and racemosa, for fall fruit).
Vines
Honeysuckles (Lonicera sempervirens and others);
Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia; long-lasting fruit; not showy, but eaten by vast number of birds);
Grape (I let wild vines remain at the woodland edge here, or cultivate an arbor).
THEY LIKE TO BE WATCHED: Join Project Feederwatch, to support and help in Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s program and learn more about your local birds as a bonus. OK, so maybe birds don’t actually care if we watch them, but aware people make better companions and custodians for songbirds. This year’s program begins Nov. 14; registration is open now, and materials about the birds of your area will be sent to you to help in the IDs.
NO MARAUDING CATS is what birds like most of all. In the residential environment, cats are a top cause of death for songbirds (with fatal crashes into windows the top killer). Estimates for the number of songbirds killed annually by feral and domestic cats range from a few hundred million to one billion. Keep your cat in during the daytime in particular, and especially during nesting season. Let them watch the Bird TV Network through a window or a glass door instead. It’s Jack the Demon Cat’s favorite channel (when he’s not asleep, which is most of the time). The birds much prefer winterberry holly (Ilex verticillata, below) to Jack.
Resources:
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology: Home to endless learning about birds, and to Project Feederwatch.
- Boreal Songbird Initiative: Nearly half of “our” 700 bird species depend on the North American Boreal Forest (from Alaska to Canada to Newfoundland) for survival, but will those forests survive?
- Audubon Society: The conservation organization’s site includes sections on bird science news plants for wildlife.
Postscript:
And in case you didn’t know what boys like, either, or what the headline alludes to, here’s the answer (thanks to The Waitresses’ vintage hit):
more poop about birds: some fun and facts 
feeling grateful for great fruiting plants 
As soon as I saw your headline that song popped into my head and I’ll be hearing it all day. Love that song!
I have been toying with the idea of planting winterberry on my property for years, and I think it’s time I did it. I have so little space I hate to give up the real estate to the required male pollinator but those bright red berries are so alluring – to the birds and to me especially. The sacrifices we must sometimes make…
Fun post, Margaret, and about those boys, they’re not too hard to figure out. They like food and toys.
Awesome post! I am all about providing a landscape for our feathered friends. We get quite the diversity here, and it fills me with joy to ID the different species at our feeders, both seed feeders and natural feeders. Thank you for these additional ideas. I need to incorporate more natural food sources in the garden. We have the butterflies and hummers covered, but the regular birds need more options.
Hi, I’m a relatively new gardener so this question may seem elementary, but what’s the name of the groundcover in that first picture of the pond? I’ve seen it around and love the bright green color and would like to add it to our backyard. Thanks!
Welcome, Julia. There are various low-growing Sedum, or stonecrop, that will do the job. Try this recent post for a slideshow of some that I like. That is ‘Golden Teardrop.’ And no question is elementary, really…to learn to garden you have to have curiosity (and a strong back, and patience, and no love of nice manicured nails). Ask away. :)
Great suggestions and I have planted many of the shrubs and trees you recommend, however, a few feral cats have found my garden. I feel sorry for them and worry about the birds. Don’t know what to do.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for all of these tips and for doing so much for our songbirds. Did you plant those 60 species that they like, it sounds like you did.
My garden is a haven too, and I have 2 pretty skunks living in my yard in our blackberry bramble patch, right in our city garden.
Attracting birds, especially by planting what is good for them and providing water is ALL GOOD.
Way to go, and when I read a list like this I always get an idea or two for more I can do.
A few more plants to add to the list…..Here at Whimsey Hill House, the birds LOVE the protection of the Miscanthus grasses. The birds don’t pay to much attention to the grasses in the spring, and summer, BUT when the deciduous trees have dropped their leaves, the grasses are their favorite hiding places. The dense growth of the grasses must cut the wind, and act as a place to roost. The bird feeders are by the grasses, and the birds, all through out the winter days, dart back and forth from the grasses to the feeders, their easy source of food. Another place birds loves is the protective space that the globe arborvite provides. If the birds are not in the grasses, they are darting in mass into those dense bushes. Mine are about seven feet tall, and wide, and get a trimming every two, or three years to keep them perfectly sphere shape. The upright, and spreading yew are also place for birds to hide. The one plant from the list that I don’t care for is the Virginia Creeper. I see it in Albany covering buildings, and it is like a weed. I have seen that INVASIVE plant in garden centers, here and in the Berkshires for anywhere from $30 to $40., and wondered, who in their right mind would want to plant that quick growing-take over your property vine??? My neighbors have land that is not cleared, and it climbs up trees. Every year, I find it trying to grow in my garden, and up my board fence. MiSchelle, like you, I have thought about planting some winterberry (ilex), but got past that crave. Windy Hill Nursery in Great Barrington, Ma has a beautiful planting of it, out by the road, along Rt7. In December it is a WONDERFUL sight to see, especially if there is snow. They always offer the most tempting winterberry plants, for sale, by their front door, as you walk in. Some have small berries, while others have LARGER fruits. Besides the classic red color, they have also sell winterberrys that have pumpkin, and salmon colored berries. The plants, that they sell are up there in price. The problem with the winterberry, for me, is that in the summer they are a minor looking bush (forgetable) and by mid January, the berries are all gone. I picked the cardinal candy and winthrop virburnum, instead, (because I wanted the red fruit as winter interest). In a past post, I said I was not happy with their performance. They were just planted two years ago, so maybe with time they will perform as I would like.
I’m fairly certain you’ve got your share of admirers.
Great garden photos. I am an organic gardener and enjoy your blog.
Randy
@Kathy: Both here and where I used to live there is a nearby charitable organization dedicated to humane practices w/stray cats (getting them caught and spayed especially) so I would look up such a place and ask their advice.
@Terra: I didn’t focus on specific birds (I didn’t know so much about either plants or birds 20-plus years ago) but knew I wanted birds, so I used the general ideas above. Even with that general approach, it worked. :)
@Fred: Virginia creeper is one of the top native wildlife plants there is, hands-down, so it’s something I encourage along a fence or roadside and such. I’m glad to have it. Poison ivy is another leading plant for wildlife (including birds) and though I remove seedlings in the garden beds I do not try to eliminate it anywhere else (such as at the woodland edges). Those two plants (among others) are really valuable to the ecosystem so I try to not exert too strong a hand at the fringes here against such treasures.
Hi, Charity, all the way from Rome! Unfortunately, most of the guys in my life are short and green and tend to leap out of grasp when you try to hug them. :)
Welcome, Randy, and thank you for the kind words. Always glad to meet other organic gardeners here. See you again soon.
Thanks for another wonderfully educational post. I keep trying to diversify our woods and you’ve given me more to add (esp. the Winterberry and Spicebush). Just as a minor correction though, I think it should be Chokeberry for the Aronias although the ChokeCherry (Prunus virginiana) is also a bird attractor. Also you don’t mention the Red Mulberry (Morus rubra) which outshines all the trees on my property as a bird magnet (http://macgardens.org/?p=865). I used to think of it as a weed tree (the birds do the planting), but it’s now one of my more highly valued trees. For about two months of the year I start each morning underneath the tree next to the garden watching for new birds…
Love the blog, Margaret. I’ve been wanting to plant some elderberries as the road crews have sprayed all the wild ones and I’m yearning to make my Mom’s elderberry/crabapple jelly. I searched you website but can’t find any mention of where and how you plant them. Any tips?
I use an airstone with air hose and small pump to keep the water open in my koi pond. I wonder which uses more electricity? On the coldest days we still must boil water and keep the hole open. I am thinking with your method that step could be avoided…lol…
@John: Thank you, thank you. My built-in common-name translator stinks. I hardly ever used them when I am thinking or talking about plants, so its a struggle for me to conjure the common names. Yes, of course, you are correct, and I fixed it for posterity. :) I don’t grow mulberry here, but it’s a goodie, too. Neither do I have choke-cherry, but my areas is loaded with wild cherry trees that you are again correct, the birds love. Thanks on all counts.
@Judy: My elderberries (from the link above inthe story where it says “I grow these”) are super-easy, even grow in part shade, and ask nothing. I cut them down every other year at least, since they grow so fast and otherwise get quite large, but you needn’t do that. No tricks to growing them; just order plants with the big fruiting heads like the ones at that link.
@Dave: The bubbler wouldn’t work here after November-ish, so I use the floater. You can get different wattage depending on your climate zone and volume of water in your pool…and there are many brands and shapes etc. They range from $30 to $60 and up and it’s sort of an experiment, but even here in Zone 5 I have gotten MANY years of service from the cheap Allied Precision one, which is very well-made. The 1500 watts may be overkill and a waste of energy…even the 1000 may be if your pool is small, which would mean trying another brand that comes in 750 or even less. Look somewhere like Lilypons for a start; they have good customer service so you can call and ask for help with choosing for your conditions.
Thanks for the reminder about “Project FeederWatch.” I know you mentioned it last year, and it seemed like a good idea . . . but, I never signed up. This time I did it right away. I watch the birds anyway, so why not put the activity to good use. I like the sound of “citizen scientist”!
i am going to plant the winterberry hollies. the only variety i am able to get from the nursery is winter red. my question: how far apart? and pattern of planting? i didn’t want to just “line them up”. i am thinking i have space for at least twelve, spacing them eight feet apart. the nursery man said i could even go to just six feet. i want it to look “woodsy” thank you. ps: love your kitchen.
@Lana: ‘Winter Red’ gets big. My oldest plants (15+years, maybe more) are easily 10 by 10 feet. They are as you suggest 6 to 8 feet apart, and have grown into one another so that it’s more of a mass than one shrub at a time that you see. I staggered the planting so that they are not precisely in a line, so you are correct there, too. ‘Winter Red’ was my first winterberry, and because I loved it so much I now have every imaginable kind. Watch out…addictive! (And thanks re: the funny kitchen.)
I have just finished reading “Alex and Me,” by Dr. Irene Pepperberg – a true story about a research scientist and her parrot, Alex. It explores how parrots think and communicate, leading to an increased understanding of our feathered friends and linguistics in general. Excellent reviews and a thoroughly engaging lovely story. I recommend it highly.
@Barb: I heard her on NPR “Fresh Air” not long ago. Totally fascinating, and also such a tender tale. Thanks for the reminder.