How to Design a Bird-Friendly Garden

Before you break ground on a new backyard garden, take a moment to think of the birds.  Here are some simple things you can do to make birds happy and keep them coming back. 

1) Use What You've Got

If you live in rural Arizona, it's probably too expensive to build a lush marshland to attract Red-winged Blackbirds or Kingfishers.  Use what you already have.  When your backyard is dry semi-desert, use arid-friendly plants for the foragers.  If you do have a marshland, focus on using the native habitat to your advantage and attract the rarer forms of water birds. 

2) Keep Old Vegetation In

Some weed-like plants actually provide helpful cover for various bird species.  When building a bird-friendly garden, keep as many undesirable plants as you can tolerate until you see how your birds become accustomed to them.  If the birds do not use them, feel free to rip them out as planned.

3) Plant Native Plants

Birds are accustomed to plants they recognize.  When you use native plants in your new garden you're giving birds a taste of home.  They will be more likely to stay and come back if they feel they're in their native habitat.

Do you have a bird-friendly garden?