Gwinnett County Master Gardeners Association
Menu
  • Home
  • About
  • Membership
  • My Calendar
  • Officers
  • Contact Us
  • Donations
  • Members Only
Menu

Birdscaping in the Home Garden

Posted on by


– By Steve Pettis
Turning one’s yard into a suitable habitat for birds requires designing landscapes that provide birds with their five essential needs: food, shelter, water, cover, and nesting sites. Birdscaping is a term used to describe the act of creating suitable habitat for avian species through landscaping. By planning landscape designs with birds in mind, gardeners can provide birds with the things they need to survive and birds can provide  gardeners with hours of enjoyment.

Planning a landscape that is suitable for birds is easy. Start by sketching the existing landscape. Make note of all structures, plantings, and topographical features. Make notes on your drawing of the plants to leave, to remove, or add keeping in mind that birds like edges such as forest and planting borders. Choose areas to plant trees and shrubs that birds can utilize. Mix in plantings of annuals and perennials that flower throughout the season. These plants will attract insects that birds may feed on. Try to leave standing dead trees, if possible, to provide habitat for birds such as woodpeckers.

After making plant choices that provide food, shelter, and cover for birds, artificial features should be considered. Water sources such as birdbaths, fountains, and ponds may be added to landscapes to attract birds. The features should be in the open away from any place cats and other predators can hide. Rocks and water plants add a to water feature’s attractiveness to birds as well as keeping the water fresh. Man made birdhouses can be installed. These should be placed in sheltered spots near a shrub or tree. Finally, birdfeeders can be added. All bird feeders should be placed in the open near some sort of cover. Baffles and guards should be placed on mounting poles of both birdfeeders and houses to prevent predation.

Attracting birds to one’s yard by birdscaping can be rewarding. Birds are not only beautiful and fun to watch, but also provide control of adult insects, grubs, and caterpillars. By improving suburban and urban landscapes, people can help replace bird habitat that has been reduced or destroyed by development.

Trees and Shrubs for Birds
Plant
Plant type
Feature
Birds attracted
Oak Tree Excellent nesting Blue jays, sparrows, acorn woodpeckers
Pine Tree Excellent nesting Robins, purple finches, mourning doves, warblers, sparrows
Holly Large shrub Shelter Towhees, thrashers, mockingbirds
Elderberry Large shrub Summer fruit Warblers, grosbeaks, goldfinches
Dogwood Small tree Nesting, late summer fruit Bell’s vireos, summer tanagers
American Beautyberry Shrub Late summer fruit Many birds
Native roses Shrub Nesting, cover Many birds
Eastern Red Cedar Tree Nesting, winter fruit Sparrows, robins, mockingbirds, many others
Winterberry Dec. Holly Small shrub Late winter fruit Robins, blackbirds, cedar waxwings

–

Feeders for Birds
Squirrel-proof feeders Spinners, flippers, trapdoors prevent pesky squirrels from robbing feeders
Platform feeders Feeds many birds at once
Tube feeders Plastic tube with staggered holes
Hummingbird feeders Glass feeders filled with sugar water (1 part sugar, 4 parts water; no red dye needed; boil and cool before use)
Suet feeders Wire suspended suet cake. Birds often hang upside down to feed.
Thistle feeders Narrow tube feeders
Peanut feeders Attracts woodpeckers
Window feeders Suction cups attach feeder to window

Related Images:

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Categories

  • Current Events (19)
  • Educational Workshops (20)
  • Events (13)
  • Field Trips (24)
  • Garden Tour (16)
  • Gardening in Gwinnett (8)
  • GCMGA Information (49)
  • GCMGA Volunteer Projects (40)
  • Meetings (116)
  • Newsletters and Member Articles (107)
  • Photo Gallery (14)
  • Uncategorized (2)

Contact Us

Click here if you are interested in becoming a member or have a question about our association.

Inquiries concerning this website can be made by e-mail.

Find us on Facebook at Gwinnett Master Gardeners

Recent Posts

  • May 2025 Meeting
  • June 2025 Meeting
  • April 2025 Meeting
  • Mosquito Bucket Workshop
  • Photography Workshop 2025

Located at Bethesda Senior Center at 225 Bethesda Church Rd, Lawrenceville, GA 30044


View Larger Map
©2025 Gwinnett County Master Gardeners Association | Theme by SuperbThemes