Come to Attract Backyard Birds This Spring

Spring migration brings dozens of species through neighborhoods that see little bird activity during winter. The timing is perfect for setting up your yard as a stopover point. Migrating birds need food, water, and shelter, and a yard that provides all three can attract species you would normally need to travel to see.

Food Sources That Work

Different birds eat different things, so variety is the key to attracting a wide range of species.

• Black oil sunflower seeds: The single best all-around feeder food.

Cardinals, chickadees, titmice, nuthatches, finches, and grosbeaks all eat them readily. The thin shells are easy for small birds to crack. Buy in bulk (a 40-pound bag runs $20 to $30 at farm supply stores) to save significantly over small bags at grocery stores.

The seed is more expensive ($1.50 to $2 per pound) but the target species are worth it. Fresh nyjer is important; if it sits for months it dries out and birds ignore it.

Switch to no-melt suet in warm weather to avoid a greasy mess.

A dish of mealworms on a platform feeder is one of the fastest ways to attract bluebirds. Live mealworms ($5 for 500 at pet stores) are more attractive than dried, but dried ($8 for a 5 oz bag) are easier to store.

Water: The Most Overlooked Attractant

Moving water attracts birds faster than any feeder. The sound of dripping or splashing water is irresistible to migrating birds searching for drinking and bathing spots.

• Bird bath: A simple pedestal or ground-level bath ($20 to $50) placed in a shaded area works well. Keep the water depth at 1 to 2 inches with a shallower edge. Change the water every 2 to 3 days to prevent mosquito larvae.
• Dripper or mister: Adding a solar-powered dripper ($15 to $25) or a misting attachment creates the movement and sound that draws birds from surprising distances. The API Water Wiggler ($25, battery-powered) creates ripples without any plumbing.
• Ground-level water: Many species (thrushes, towhees, sparrows) prefer ground-level water sources. A large plant saucer sunk slightly into the ground with a few stones for perching makes an effective ground bath.

Native Plants for Food and Shelter

Feeders supplement natural food sources, but native plants provide the insect populations, berries, and seeds that birds evolved to eat. A yard with native plantings will attract more species and sustain them better than feeders alone.

• Native berry producers: Serviceberry, elderberry, dogwood, and winterberry holly produce fruit that dozens of bird species eat. Serviceberry is especially valuable because it fruits in late spring when migrants are passing through.
• Seed-producing flowers: Coneflowers, black-eyed Susans, and sunflowers produce seeds that goldfinches and sparrows feed on into fall and winter.

Leave the spent flower heads standing through winter instead of cutting them back.

If you plant one tree for birds, make it an oak native to your region.

Feeder Placement and Safety

• Window strikes: Place feeders either within 3 feet of windows (so birds cannot build enough speed to injure themselves) or more than 30 feet away. The 3 to 30 foot zone is where fatal window strikes happen most often.
• Cat protection: If outdoor cats are present in your neighborhood, place feeders at least 5 feet off the ground and 10 feet from any cover that a cat could hide behind.

Brush piles and low shrubs near feeders give cats ambush opportunities.

Dirty feeders spread avian diseases like salmonella and conjunctivitis.

Spring setup takes a few hours and a modest investment, but the payoff is daily entertainment right outside your window. Start with a sunflower feeder and a water source, then expand from there based on which species show up. Most backyards have the potential to host 20 to 30 species with the right combination of food, water, and habitat.