Create a Bird-Friendly Garden: 7 Tips for Autumn

Autumn is an ideal season to welcome birds into your garden. As daylight shortens and food becomes harder to find, it’s the perfect time to transform your garden into a true bird sanctuary. But how can you attract more birds, and what steps should you take? This guide provides seven practical tips for enticing birds and creating a genuine bird-friendly garden.

1. Offer a Variety of Food

One of the best ways to draw birds to your garden is by providing food. But is feeding birds in your garden allowed? Definitely, especially during the colder months when finding food is a challenge. Make sure to offer the right types of food. Different birds have different tastes. For instance, sunflower seeds are favored by birds like chickadees and nuthatches, while sparrows prefer mixed seeds.

In autumn, consider hanging fat balls or peanut feeders. These energy-rich foods are essential for birds to stay warm. Place the food at various heights and spots around your garden to cater to both ground-feeding birds and those that prefer feeding up high.

2. Provide Shelter and Nesting Options

Birds seek safety in gardens where they can find shelter. How can you attract birds to your garden? By planting shrubs and trees that offer both food and cover. Birds use these areas not just to hide from predators, but also to rest and build nests.

Dense shrubs like holly or privet offer great cover for small birds. Installing birdhouses can also help attract more birds. Ensure that the birdhouses are placed in secure locations, away from predators like cats.

3. Ensure Water is Available

Water is a crucial resource for birds, both for drinking and for cleaning their feathers. A simple birdbath or small pond can significantly increase the number of birds visiting your garden. Make sure the water stays clean and doesn’t freeze in the winter.

Adding a shallow pond or birdbath provides an inviting space for different bird species. Especially during autumn and winter, when natural water sources might be frozen, it’s vital that birds have access to fresh water in your garden.

4. Choose Bird-Friendly Plants

How can you attract more birds to your garden? Select the right plants! Certain plants and shrubs are very appealing to birds because they offer food or shelter. Consider planting berry-producing shrubs like pyracantha, rowan, or hawthorn. These not only attract birds with their berries but also provide excellent nesting sites.

Additionally, sunflowers and thistles can offer natural food sources. These plants produce seeds that birds enjoy during autumn.

5. Create a Bird-Friendly Environment

It’s essential to create a peaceful and safe environment for birds. Avoid using chemical pesticides in your garden as they can be harmful to both birds and insects. Birds eat many insects, so maintaining a healthy insect population provides a natural food source.

Moreover, aim for a natural garden setting. For example, leave some fallen leaves on the ground in autumn. Beneath these leaves, you’ll often find insects and worms that serve as a valuable food source for birds like robins.

6. What Birds Visit Your Garden?

Depending on your location and garden setup, you can attract a wide range of birds. In urban gardens, you might commonly see sparrows, robins, blackbirds, and various types of tits. If you live in a more rural area, you might also spot species like finches, starlings, or even woodpeckers.

By creating a diverse garden with different types of food and cover, you can attract a broader variety of birds. Keep track of the most frequent visitors; this information can be useful for activities like the National Garden Birdwatch.

7. Participate in Bird Counts

A fun way to support bird research is by joining the National Garden Birdwatch. Each year, usually at the beginning of February, you can participate by counting the birds in your garden for half an hour. But how do you count the birds in your garden? It’s easy: record the highest number of birds you see at once for each species.

This counting helps track bird populations across the US. It’s a fun and educational activity to do with family or friends, and by participating, you contribute to valuable scientific research on bird populations.

Attract More Birds to Your Garden

Drawing birds to your garden not only benefits them but also provides great joy for you as a gardener or nature lover. By offering diverse food, water, shelter, and the right plants, you can create an environment where birds feel at home. Whether you're interested in learning more about which birds visit your garden or simply enjoying their delightful songs, these tips will help turn your garden into a genuine bird sanctuary.

Don’t forget to join the National Garden Birdwatch every January. It’s the perfect chance to see how many birds visit your garden and which species make themselves at home.

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