Help our feathered neighbors feel more at home in our cities and towns: start a bird-friendly garden.
Help us find out where are our city birds this July 15 & 16!
Visit bit.ly/birdsinthecity to learn how.
- Provide water supply.
One of the easiest things you can do to attract birds in your garden is to set up a birdbath. It can be made from an old laundry bucket or pots from old plants. It should be shallow enough for birds to bathe in comfort and is placed in an area where birds can hide if they get startled by humans or cats. It also helps to place a flat stone near it to give them an easy way in and out. Most importantly, don’t forget to clean it regularly to prevent mosquitoes from reproducing. - Plant fruit bearing trees and flowering shrubs.
A rule of thumb in having guests feel at home is to provide free food. Birds feed on fruits and nectars so having fruit-bearing trees and flowers in your garden will help attract birds. To ensure familiarity, plant Philippine native trees such as Bignay, Kamagong, and Banaba. Bring in flowering plants like orchids.
And remember: feeding wild birds directly is discouraged. Human food supplies may increase their dependence on your garden, and expose them to neighborhood cats. It is best to plant native fruit trees that they can visit over time. The trees also provide protection and places to rest for the birds, and the tree will provide shade for you! - Leave the leaf litter to rot.
Aside from plants, birds also enjoy eating delectable worms, slugs, snails, and ants. Leaving your leaf litter to rot or setting up compost at the side of your garden is like leaving a free buffet for you and your family. - Place dead wood in your garden.
Some birds check dead wood or logs to see if there are insects underneath to eat. You can also lean a rotting log against the side of a tree so that it also provides shade. - Provide temporary shelter.
Give our feathered guests a place to rest by setting up boxes made from old wood materials in your backyard. It may even give your home an old rustic look and feel. - Let the sunlight in.
Make sure there is also enough sunlight entering your garden. Sunlight highlights the variety of trees and plants in your garden making it more inviting to birds.
Birds are some of our most overlooked neighbors. But if you establish a garden, or take a closer look while walking through your park, each species and even each individual bird has their own unique traits. Not only are birds good for watching or observing, their presence shows us that even in cities, nature can still survive if we allow them to.
References:
- Anderton, S. (2016, Apr 09). How to attract birds to your garden. The Times. Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com/docview/1779658728?accountid=47253
- Birdlife Australia. (2012, Sept. 15). Attracting Birds to your garden. Retrieved from: http://www.birdlife.org.au/images/uploads/education_sheets/INFO-Attracting-birds-to-garden.pdf
- Robledo, L. (2012, June 30). Birds in my butterfly garden. Retrieved from: https://ebonph.wordpress.com/2012/06/30/attracting-birds-and-butterflies-to-the-garden/
