Attracting Birds To Your Birdhouse

What is it about wild birds that is so appealing to us? Why do we place a birdhouse in our yard and feel a sense of pride when a nesting pair or wrens, chickadees or bluebirds take up residence? Perhaps it is because they are the only truly wild species that we are in contact with in our daily lives. All other wild creatures are displaced by our encroachment into their habitat. They avoid contact with us. But birds choose to share our space. They are the connective thread to the world we control and that which we cannot. We have invaded their space and they have fashioned a shared alliance that is pleasing to us and comfortable for them.

When we place a birdhouse in our yard we are inviting birds to share our lives. We are hanging out a welcome sign that says “Come and visit and we will treat you as our guests. We will provide everything you need to make your visit as comfortable as possible.”

The Four Things Birds Need To Survive
What can you do to attract birds to that birdhouse in your yard? You need to make certain that the four things birds need to survive - shelter, food, water and safety - are available in your yard or nearby. If these are available your birdhouse will look very appealing to nesting birds.

Shelter: By placing a good quality birdhouse in your yard (or multiple birdhouses in a larger yard) you increase the opportunity to attract and keep birds in your yard. In choosing a birdhouse make certain is is tight to the weather with ample openings for drainage and ventilation. Also look for a birdhouse without a perch. Birds don’t need perches and they can give predators a foothold for attacking nesting birds and their young.

Food: Birds need to eat. They need a ready supply of food in the area they choose to occupy. If you live in an established neighborhood with lots of trees, shrubbery and gardens there will be many opportunities for birds to live off the land. If the area around your home is thin on growth you can provide the food they need to survive. Bird seed, suet and fruit placed in your yard, but away from the birdhouse, can help you attract and keep birds in your yard. I say away from the birdhouse because nesting birds become territorial during nesting season if other birds are feeding nearby.

Water: If your home isn’t near a stream, lake or pond you should consider placing a bird bath in your yard. As with bird feeders you’ll want to position it away from the birdhouse because a bird bath will attract other than nesting birds and that territorial thing applies here as well. When selecting a bird bath choose one that is off the ground, either a pedestal or hanging-style is best. Once you have a bird bath it is important to keep it clean.

I have a bird bath on a pedestal in a perennial bed in my front yard. I freshen the water every day using a hose. Once a month I scrub it out using a detergent to eliminate any algae, and rinse well. It’s a real treat for me to be working in the yard and watch as the birds visit for a drink or a quick bath. Most birds don’t seem to mind if I’m around. They just come and go throughout the day. Many of the birds that visit are coming from other yards in the neighborhood where water is not available. For year around use you may also consider a bird bath with a heating element that allows for a steady water supply during the winter months.

Safety: Birds are no different than us. No matter where we live and no matter how good the quality of our shelter, food and water we must feel safe. What makes a bird feel safe? There should be opportunities for a bird to escape if it feels threatened. Trees and shrubbery are the two most important safe havens for a threatened bird. It needs to be able to lose itself in the undergrowth or canopy where most predators do not function well.

If you provide these essentials you should have no problem attracting birds to your birdhouses. And you’ll keep them coming back, year after year.