Ideas for Attracting Birds to Your Yard

1. Hang a feeder. It can be a feeder that hangs in a tree or on a pole, suction-cups to the window, or simply a platform. Try different types of feeders to attract more types of birds.
2. Offer food the birds like. If you have to choose one type of seed to offer, choose black oil sunflower seeds. Sunflower seeds will attract a variety of birds. To attract more types of birds, try offering nyger thistle seed, safflower seed, cracked corn, peanuts, or suet. Apples and oranges are favorites of orioles, finches, and cardinals. Apples and oranges can be offered on a special feeder, or you can stab them onto a tree branch or use a bamboo garden stake stuck in the ground with the fruit halves stuck on the end.
3. Offer a fresh supply of water. Birdbaths are great for this and there are a variety of them offered at stores, from traditional style to ones that hang. You can also use a large plant tray, the kind used to catch excess water from a round plant pot. Anything will work as long as it is not more than two inches deep. Keep the bath full and clean, and you will have many birds enjoying it.
4. Landscape for the birds. Plant bushes and trees to provide cover for the birds. Research which bushes and trees grow in your area that produce fruit birds love. Mulberry, currants, grapes, and dogwood berries are all popular with birds.
5. Hummingbirds can be attracted to your yard by hanging a simple hummingbird feeder. Sugar-water can be made by dissolving one part white sugar in four parts boiling water. For example, two cups boiling water to 1/2 cup sugar makes about a pint of sugar water. Once the sugar-water is cooled, you can fill your feeder. Store any extra sugar-water in the refrigerator.

Keep a record of which birds eat which food, what time they come, the type of bird, how many of each type, which birds drink the water, which birds bathe. If you feed the birds all year-round, keep a record of which birds are seasonal and which season you see them, and which birds stay all year.

As an added bonus, you may attract other wildlife to your bird feeders. Squirrels, chipmunks, ground squirrels, and rabbits all love sunflower seeds, peanuts, and apples.