The Bird Feeder Blog

Attracting birds to your garden

I often get asked this, and in truth, it isn’t an exact science as to why some birds regularly visit one garden whilst studiously avoiding another. However, there are ways to encourage a variety of birdlife and ensuring that there is always fresh food and water available in different areas of the garden should really help. 

If there is a cat living at the property or living at neighbours close by this may be sufficient to worry birds and for them to choose another garden. Having said that, in some instances the birds will ignore the cat particularly if it is sleeping! Blackbirds are quite brave, as far as wild birds go and they enjoy coming fairly close to people and seem to wait for small pieces of cheese or fruit to be left out for them.  They will even perch on the back of a garden bench to watch out for any food which may be coming their way. 

The birds that regularly return to a garden may so do because of the situation of the property and its surrounding area. Bird sanctuaries and a Site of Special Scientific Areas will attract a huge variety of wild birds.  Old farm buildings and barns will attract owls and once they are there then they will try to return if at all possible.  At night they can be seen and heard in the trees of local gardens whilst they are hunting for food.  

Other regular visitors to rural gardens can be the sparrows, starlings, blackbirds, followed closely by the blue, great and coal tits and sometimes even the chaffinch, greenfinch and occasionally the bullfinch visit.  In the winter the robin with his bright red chest taps on kitchen windows waiting for someone to go outside and hold out tiny pieces of cheese or bread which he takes from the hand. 

Those people who are lucky enough to live in rural locations are more likely to see a greater variety of wild bird visit their garden – however, even for those living in a town or city with little or no garden can encourage birds to visit, either by hanging bird feeders from windows and flat dwellers can feed them on a balcony.   

Whatever the reasons for any birds to visit on a regular basis, the knowledge that there is always a plentiful supply of nuts and seed around together with a fresh supply of water is the best way of encouraging them.  If there are young children or pets in evidence then some birds may decide to give a garden a wide berth for a period of time until the situation changes.  Even if there are children, it may be possible to encourage birds into an area when the children are unlikely to spend much time, as in a front garden which may be unfenced.  

By placing a well stocked bird table and bird bath with clean water at the front of the property it may be that a variety of birds will want to spend some time there and that will benefit all who watch them.

Does anyone have anything to add?