It seems like the older I get, the more interest I have in birds. They are so beautiful and fun to watch. What can I do in my yard to attract more birds? KM

Birds are another one of nature’s pleasures to enjoy and appreciate. I’m not sure an interest in watching birds is age related, but we’ll just leave that right there.

I saw a post on social media recently showing a variety of birds and they were all identified as “Bird.” The tagline was something like “This is how I look at birds.” I am not that different. I know Bluebirds, Redbirds, and a few others, but once you get past the primary varieties, they are all birds to me. My apologies to the professional and amateur ornithologists among us. It’s entirely likely that that is how they look at flowers and that is ok. We can still be friends.

Birds are not only fun to watch, they are also a valuable resource in helping to control insects so it’s a win-win…apparently caterpillars are delicious.

When trying to figure out how to attract birds to your yard, you need to keep in mind the big three: food, water, and shelter.

So, the first thing you will need to do to make your landscape more bird friendly is to be sure there is an available food source. The easiest way to do this is to add a bird feeder to your yard. If your interest is in attracting a variety of birds, you should fill your feeder with a seed mix that includes both large and small seeds. If your interest is in attracting certain types of bird such as finches, you will need to get a different type of feeder that is built for thistle.

While some flowering plants look good such as forsythia or lilac, they do not provide a food source for birds. If you want to truly create a bird sanctuary, you should consider planting a variety of plants that will provide fruit or seeds. Let’s talk about some of those.

Hollies make a good choice because the birds will love the berries and you get the extra bonus of the holly providing a good place for the birds to shelter. Native plants are also a good choice because they are well adapted to our area and tend to be more drought, heat, and cold tolerant. (We learned about cold tolerance this year, didn’t we?)

Vegetable crops such as tomatoes are good attractors for birds as well. If you are wanting to grow tomatoes for you and the birds, consider planting tomatoes in different areas of the yard. Oftentimes, your preferred crop will be left alone while the birds devour the others. 

Keeping your lawn healthy and vibrant is another attractor to birds in that healthy lawns encourage worms, and robins, mockingbirds, and flickers all love worms. While we are talking about lawns, let’s mention dandelions. While many of us do our best to limit the dandelion population in our lawns, dandelions are not only an early source of nutrition for bees, and their seeds are also enjoyed by goldfinches, buntings, chipping sparrows, and finches.

Shelter for birds should be your next consideration. Vines on fences are perfect for nesting, and shelter. Clematis, honeysuckle, and grapes would fit in this category. Broken branches stacked in a pile will attract cardinals, towhees, wrens and sparrows. Also consider trees and shrubs with dense branches, leaves, or perhaps even thorns because they will provide good shelter as well.

Evergreens are a great choice to help provide shelter during the winter when other plants have lost their leaves. Pine trees, hollies, southern magnolias, and rhododendrons are good examples. Junipers are also a good source of winter berries, but they are so common in Oklahoma that your birds may benefit more from less prevalent evergreens.

In the Hot Topics section of our website, you will find a link to information from the Audubon society on plants that attract specific birds.

Water is important for all living things and birds are no exception. When we think water for birds, we usually think of a bird bath, but fountains are great too. Just be sure they have a shallow area with water no more than 2” deep. A standard bird bath could benefit by placing a rock in it which gives them a place to stand while getting a drink. Birdbaths will need to be washed out every three to four days and disinfected with bleach once or twice a year.

If you do install a bird feeder or bird bath, be sure to place them at least 10 feet away from other trees or shrubs so the birds will have a little advance warning in case they are being stalked by a neighborhood cat.

Building a bird house is also great fun and we have information on the bird house needs for specific birds on our website. You can find a link to this information in the Hot Topics section of our website (tulsamastergardeners.org). 

 You can get answers to all your gardening questions by calling the Tulsa Master Gardeners Help Line at 918-746-3701, dropping by our Diagnostic Center at 4116 E. 15th Street, or by emailing us at mg@tulsamastergardeners.org.

Photo: Ag Communications Services Oklahoma State University