Birds in The Garden

When you have a wildlife garden, you're part of the soothing and wonderful world of nature.

Four basic needs are shared by birds and other wildlife: water, food, shelter and a safe home.

Planning a garden for birds differs from most other kinds of landscaping in that all the plantings have two purposes. They either provide food in the form of berries, fruit, or seeds, or are well suited as nesting sites or shelter.

There are many wonderful shrubs and trees you can plant to attract birds. While waiting for these plants to mature, set out feeders and water. Before you know it, you'll have visitors darting in and out of your yard and soon enough they'll set up housekeeping and you'll have the most pleasing, alive garden ever!

I love waking up each morning to the sweet songs of all my little bird friends. They have set up home in many nooks and crannies of my house and property.

Flowering dogwood is a large shrub or small tree with fruit favored by 36 species of birds. The plant's flowers are ornamental. Native on the East Coast and South.

Cranberry viburnum is a tall, upright shrub with showy white flowers and glossy red fruit. It grows quickly, bearing fruit the second year.

White oak is a large shade tree that produces acorns enjoyed by bluejays, thrashers, and flickers, and makes a good nest site.

Elderberries are decorative small trees that produce fruit enjoyed by 30 species of birds.

Winterberry attracts 22 species of birds. These large shrubs often serve as nest sites, too.

White pines are large trees that work well as winter windbreaks, screens, and nest sites. Cardinals, chickadees, and crossbills are just a few of the species of birds that use white pine seeds for food.

Crab Apples are small ornamental trees that produce bird-pleasing fruits.

Hawthorn is a small, domed tree with clustered flowers and red fruits. It provides choice sites for nests.

Viburnrm or nannyberry attracts blue jays, robins, bluebirds, and many other songbirds.

Blackberries allowed to naturalize into a brambly tangle become nest sites and escape areas. The berries are also very popular as food.

Red maples are dense trees with tops for nesting.

Beech trees supply nest sites. Big birds, such as flickers, grosbeaks, and woodpeckers, like the nuts.

Sumac, an interesting tall shrub that produces conical clusters of red fruit, pleases species of birds. Plants sucker freely though and can become a pest.

Wild species of grapes will attract birds when fruit is ripe.

Honeysuckle, the tall variety, not a dwarf, does well along fences.

Autumn olive elaeagnus is good for shelter, escape, and food. Let it grow into shrub form.

White spruce is a native evergreen that gives good winter cover.

Brush piles of twigs and small limbs provide protection from predators, as well as nest sites.

A shallow pool of water is essential for birds. Keep it rather shallow, a few inches deep.

1. Learn everything you wanted to know about hummingbirds and how to attract them to your yard from Lanny Chamber's absolutely wonderful site.