A-Z of Services

Biodiversity and Gardening - How to Attract Birds

How To Attract Birds

Many birds prefer a habitat that resembles a sheltered woodland glade. This can be provided by a shrubby border meandering in and out of the sun, filled with berries, nuts, grubs, perches and nesting sites.

Planting small flowering shrubs at the front, larger ones behind and if space, small trees or a hedge at the back can increase the value of the "woodland glade" for birds. Native trees and shrubs provide a greater range of food throughout the seasons, but exotic species can provide additional flowers and berries. Most gardens are too small for woodland trees such as oak but, cherry-plum, silver birch and rowan are more manageable and are excellent for wildlife. Similarly most gardens are too small for the creation of an orchard but fruit trees from apples to currants are decorative and valuable for birds.

Typical birds found in a typical urban setting include: blackbird, robin, wren, blue tit and great tit. In many more rural areas original field hedges with a mixture of native species such as hawthorn, blackthorn and holly and mature oak and ash trees form the boundary to newer properties. Many of these boundaries are of historic value as well as providing an important woodland edge. Where there are mature trees additional birds can be attracted into the garden including green woodpecker, greater spotted woodpecker, long tailed tit and nuthatch.

Tips

Wildlife thrives on lack of disturbance: do not prune hedges and shrubs during the breeding season.
A large bushy corner is better for birds than small islands of shrubs separated by lawn.
A wild corner with bramble, and/or ivy provides additional fruit and nesting cover.
The use of slug pellets can affect birds such as song thrush.

Bird Boxes

Bird boxes provide a valuable source of breeding sites for blue and great tits, especially since their natural nesting sites are cavities in mature trees, which are few and far between. Nest boxes should be situated out of direct sun and the reach of predators particularly cats. Nest boxes for tits are the most common but open-side nest boxes are used by robins, thrushes and starlings, an owl might be attracted by a chimney box and concrete cups are now available for house martins.

Bird Table

Feeding birds can help to supplement their diet especially in winter while providing an easy way to birdwatch. Bird tables should be placed carefully, away from fences and tree or shrub cover to reduce the risk from cats. The use of cat collars with bells and ultrasonic bleepers can help to reduce predation from cats, - but not always.

The greater the choices of food on offer, the more species of birds are likely to be attracted to the bird table. Tits like fat and peanuts; finches like seeds but greenfinches, siskins, nuthatches and woodpeckers will all be attracted to peanuts. Apples can attract blackbirds and thrushes.

All birds will eat bread but white bread is not nutritious and stale bread can be harmful. Nuts, fat and bird cake are the best options.

Download the Biodiversity and Gardening - How to Attract Birds Leaflet