Creating a bird-friendly habitat is easier than you think. Simply think of it as a recipe with four key ingredients: food, water shelter, and nesting sites. Below are suggestions to help you get started or add on to your bird-friendly habitat. Natural options appear first in each category. If space and resources allow, start with natural options and supplement with human-made items. This helps to provide a sustainable, layered approach that will support birds and other wildlife across the seasons well into the future. Need design inspiration? Click here for sample garden plans.

	Think bird-friendly food groups when adding native plants and feeders: insects, seeds, berries, & nectar. Native trees, shrubs, flowers, grasses Dead wood and fallen leaves Seed and nectar feeders Suet Fruit Mealworms
	Provide birds with clean water sources all year long for drinking, bathing, and preening. Streams, creeks, vernal pools Wetlands Rain gardens Bird baths, ponds, water garden Fountains (traditional or drip) Other depressions, downspout pools, and pooling areas
	Aim for a variety of heights and textures to provide plenty of options for birds to rest, avoid predators, and build nests. Native trees, shrubs, grasses, ferns (including evergreens) Native fencerows/bramble patches Log, brush, or rock piles Meadows Discarded Christmas trees Nest and winter roost boxes
	Offer natural and human-made options for birds to nest safely, away from predators and other threats. Multiple native trees, shrubs Standing dead trees Meadows and grasslands Nest boxes, platforms, cups Accessible barn or structure Chimney Swift tower/accessible chimney Abandoned silo

Downloadable Resources

creating-a-bird-friendly-habitat.pdf DIY-Garden-Designs