Chetna BhallaWith the right plants, your garden or balcony can become a bird sanctuary. I recommend growing native plants. Native plants are the ones that occur naturally in your area. It is because such plants have adapted well to the precipitation and soil. Such plants do not require any artificial fertilizers or pesticides. When you don’t spray chemicals on your plants, they are more likely to attract birds and local wildlife of all kinds. The native insects are also evolved to feed on native plants, and the birds need those insects to feed their young ones. Stop hating insects because birds feel happy with insects.
If you love to have butterflies in your garden then read How to Attract Butterflies to your Garden.
Did You know?
According to a study by Nyffeler and his colleagues, insectivorous birds consume an estimated 400 to 500 million tonnes of insects per year.
What do the birds need?
- Birds need a safe place to rest and breed.
- Food, both vegetarian and nonvegetarian, with no pesticides on it
- Water for bathing and drinking
- No artificial noise or threat or predators like cats and dogs
Recommended Products for a Bird Friendly Balcony and Garden
Trees that Attract Birds
Trees offer a nesting site for birds, provide shade in hot weather, offer shelter from the rain, and attract insects that the birds feed.
- Neem Tree: The Common Myna and Yellow Vented Bulbul, among other birds, love to feed on the fruits of the Neem Tree.
- Curry Leaf: The Asian Koel and red vented bulbul love the fruits of this tree
- Mango Tree: Loved by all birds
- Jamun Tree: The birds love their fruits
- Indian Gooseberry: For nesting as well as for the fruits.
- Lemon Tree: It is a favorite among insects and caterpillars, and hence the birds come on this one for food for their young ones.
Flowers that Attract Birds
- Sunflower: The birds love the seeds. Birds like woodpeckers, cardinals, and sparrows love Sunflowers.
- Hibiscus: Hummingbirds love hibiscus
- Lilies: Favorite among Sunbirds
- Ixora: Sunbirds, flowerpeckers, and tailorbirds love this flower.
- Aster: attract songbirds
- Coreopsis: provides natural birdseed for Sparrows and finches
- Marigolds: These flowers attract insects, and the birds come to the flowers in search of insects
- Salvia: The hummingbirds love the bright red color
- Zinnia: Finches, sparrows, cardinals love zinnias for their seeds
Recommended Flower Seeds for Bird Friendly Garden and Balcony
What should be fed to birds?
- Millets
- Oats
- Sunflower seeds
- Unsalted, fresh, and crushed peanuts
- Cracked corn
- Mealworms
Some other tips to Attract Birds:
- Keep a birdbath that should be shallow and wide enough for the birds to drink as well as take a dip.
- Install a bird feeder in a safe area with top quality bird food
- Reduce the lawn as much as possible and have more plants and trees.
- If possible, don’t prune the trees.
- Never touch the eggs of a bird. If they have fallen on the ground by mistake, try listing them with leaves. If you touch the eggs, the birds will abandon them.
- Don’t run after or scare away the birds.
- Install a water feature or water fountain in your garden.
Here’s a Tip: You will not need any artificial or harmful insect and pest control method because having enough birds in your garden will keep the population of insects and pests naturally.
Reference
- Martin Nyffeler, Çağan H. Şekercioğlu, Christopher J. Whelan. Insectivorous birds consume an estimated 400–500 million tons of prey annually. The Science of Nature, 2018; 105 (7-8) DOI: 10.1007/s00114-018-1571-z
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