What do birds need in the garden?

Birds offer us some tangible help for lawn care, gardening, and agriculture. A single swallow can eat hundreds of bugs in an afternoon. Many bird species are important predators of crop pests, while birds of prey will deal with any rodents. By inviting insect-eating birds to our yards we can help reduce the pests that attack our gardens and us! Take a look at your garden from a bird’s point of view. Here are five tips:

1. Along with natural foods such as seeds, fruits, berries, and nectar, your garden offers an abundance of tasty insects, caterpillars, worms, and spiders. The more diverse your plantings the more kinds of birds you will attract.
2. In addition to a ready supply of food and clean water, birds need places to hide and nest. Pines and densely needled conifers block the wind, supply cover in bad weather, and offer protection from predators. They become ideal nesting places in the spring. 
3. In terms of bird-friendly trees: Natives like oak, cedar, birch, maple, choke-cherry, and serviceberry provide insects, seeds, and fruit along with shelter and nest sites. Berry-producing plants are essential food sources for many birds. Red fruits seem to be a favourite. Plantings of ornamental crabapples and cherries, mulberry, holly, and mountain ash will draw flocks of birds to their flowers and berries. Just make sure you net your raspberries, or they may be taken too!
4. Native shrubs are especially attractive, offering food suited to the birds in your area and adding another layer of cover under taller trees. Small birds especially love dense shrubs and hedges where they can hide from predators. Thorny brambles, prickly roses, and hawthorn provide a safe haven for them to escape into, while ivy and other dense evergreens make great secluded nesting spots. See The Almanac's list of best shrubs and trees for birds here.
5. There are many perennial and annual flowers that are ideal for birdscaping. The way a plant presents its seeds is a good indicator of how easy it will be for birds to swoop in for a quick snack. Plants that have open-faced flowers or bloom on an upright stalk have seeds that are readily accessible.
6. In the late fall and wintertime, consider supplementing with bird food.  Peanuts, sunflower seeds and mixed seed will all be appreciated by small birds in winter, but our go-to choice is fat balls or suet cakes. They’re high in saturated fat, which gives birds the energy they need to survive freezing winter temperatures. Avoid using fat balls that are sold in nylon mesh bags, as birds’ delicate feet and legs can become trapped. You can often buy fat balls loose in tubs or boxes of 50 or more, which works out much cheaper than buying half a dozen at a time.