How to Attract More Birds to Your Backyard

Birds come to yards that offer four things: food, water, shelter, and places to nest. Provide all four and you'll see more species, more often.

1. Offer a variety of food

Black-oil sunflower seed is the single most widely eaten feeder food in North America and a good place to start. Add nyjer for finches, suet for woodpeckers and nuthatches, and a ground tray for juncos and doves.

• Keep seed dry; moldy seed can make birds sick.
• Clean feeders every two weeks with a 1:9 bleach-to-water solution, rinse, and dry.

2. Add water

A shallow birdbath (1–2 inches deep) attracts species that never visit feeders. Change the water every few days and consider a heater in winter.

3. Plant native plants

Native shrubs and flowers host the insects that most songbirds feed their young. Your local native plant society or Audubon's native plant database can suggest species for your region.

4. Provide shelter and nesting sites

Leave a brush pile, keep some dense shrubs, and put up a nest box sized for target species.

Keep birds safe

Place feeders within 3 feet of windows or more than 30 feet away to reduce collisions, and keep cats indoors.