Written by Zoey Young – Iowa BIG

Being bird friendly doesn’t stop at the city level, there are ways to make your home bird friendly starting right in your backyard!  Birds are treasures of the wild, and a fun way to pass time while looking out your window. Here are a few ways we can do our part for our feathered friends and spruce up our landscaping in the process!

Birds need water just like us and providing a water source is a great way to attract birds to your yard. Whether that be a bird bath, a little dish set out, or even a hollowed-out rock that collects rainwater- it’s easy to be creative when it comes to water supply.  

Raking leaves is a fall chore that is avoidable. When leaves are on the ground, that creates a layered ecosystem.  Bugs that stick to the grass level are covered by these leaves and take shelter. From here, birds love to pick out the grub from underneath, helping rid your yard of insects as well as invite birds of all species.  

Native plants are the biggest draw to local species. Planting a few native plants such as milkweed, coneflowers, solidago, and many others bring birds on a new level. Attached at the bottom of this article are lists of native plants. This also helps attract pollinators, which helps our local ecosystems.  

Create layers to your yard. Just like the rainforest, there are different life forms on different layers of your yard - from shorter perennials and grasses, to shrubs and trees of different heights. Smaller trees like crab apple trees are a great addition to your yard to help attract birds. In that matter, any tree that produces fruit or berries are a good bet to make your household bird friendly. 

The less grass the better! Shrubs and other plants are a great way to cover your yard and save you the hassle of mowing. Giving a rich ecosystem for our birds to come to is a great way to make your backyard a wonderland for birds.

Bird Friendly Backyard Info:

• Bird Friendly Plants for Your Yard - IA
• Birds in Your Backyard – Marjorie Jensen
• Designing Bird Friendly Landscapes
• Landscaping for Wildlife - IA DNR
• Making a Bird Friendly Yard - Audubon

Native Plant Recommendations - Audubon - enter your zip code and get a customized list of native/bird-friendly plants for your area & the specific species you want to attract!