Birds in the garden
Depending on the time of the year, most birds eat insects in addition to seeds, fruits and nuts. Some birds eat nothing but bugs. Birds are attracted to seasonal food. They will stay longer in a garden if it contains plants that flower or fruit at different times of the year. For example, hollies and roses provide winter fruit. Chokeberries and serviceberries offer late-spring berries. Mulberries and blueberries bear summer fruit, and honeysuckle and pyracantha round out the fruit season in the autumn.
Birds are attracted to trees and plants that provide shelter—a safe haven from predators, protective cover from harsh weather, or a place to settle in for the night. Pine trees provide evergreen shelter year-round. Chickadees favor their nourishing pine seeds. Low-growing junipers not only hide birds from imminent danger, they also offer harbor for ground insect-feeding birds such as towhees, wrens and juncos. They provide berries for waxwings and titmice. Some vines and shrubs like clematis, serviceberry and privet are multifunctional plants. Towhees, sparrows and larks enjoy the seed heads of their spent flowers, while fruit-eating birds such as robins, tangers and thrushes gorge on their berries.
When a bird’s natural plant food supply has waned, a few well-placed feeders can entice it to stay in the area. Thistle seeds whet the appetite of jays, chickadees, goldfinches, redpolls and buntings. Jays, chickadees and juncos love shelled peanuts and cracked corn.
In planting and developing the garden, consider grouping plants in layers. This creates a multilevel habitat of food and shelter for a variety of birds, whether they feed on the ground, in trees and shrubs, or in the air. Include fruit-bearing shrubs, deciduous trees and evergreens of all heights in the upper layers. At ground level, consider planting ground covers as well as perennials and annuals for color. Fill the layers in between with ornamental grasses, low-growing shrubs, and annuals and perennials for seasonal color accents. The garden may become the birds’ favorite place. In addition to being helpful, birds add flashes of color to the overall landscape.