How To Create A Backyard Birdwatching Sanctuary

Photo by Brazil Topno on Unsplash

Nature is a gift that is to be enjoyed by all. Animals play a vital role in enhancing the natural beauty of any locality, and if you are fond of birdwatching, the best option is to create a bird sanctuary in your backyard. 

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Although natural landscapes provide the perfect blend of food and shelter for wild birds, adding bird habitat to any backyard will help attract more bird species and will allow you to admire nature without stepping out of your house.

It is not that hard to invite colorful songbirds to your backyard. Food, shelter, nesting spots, and water availability are important components of a bird habitat; you can satisfy these requirements with a solid bird feeder pole and a couple of other additions and tweaks to your backyard.

Many birds will swiftly find their way to your home if you tend to fulfill these requirements.

Today, I will highlight some tips that will assist you in transforming your old boring backyard into a marvelous bird sanctuary.

5 Ways To Turn Your Backyard Into A Birdwatching Sanctuary

You can build a small birdwatching sanctuary of your own, just follow these steps:

1. Start With Bird Feeder Poles

The first steps are on how to attract birds to a nest box.

Bird feeder poles come in different shapes and sizes, and your choice should depend upon the kind of feed you want to serve to the birds. People arrange different types of feeder poles to guarantee the attention of many bird species.

Start converting your yard into a bird sanctuary with a solid bird feeder pole.

You’ll need appetizing natural or artificial seeds to fill up the feeders. Mixed bird feed with a good variety of nuts, fruit, and small seeds (i.e. sunflower seeds, corn kernels, etc.) will provide the basic requirements for most species of bird.

The better the feed used, the more it will attract birds to your yard. But as some bird seeds can be quite expensive, you can solve this problem by buying an expensive bag of seeds and mixing it with a cheaper one, by doing so the seeds will also last longer.

2. Add Bird Baths & Water Sources

Secondly, you will need to add a water source.

This is sure to transform your dull backyard into an excellent wildlife attraction. Just like bird feeder poles, there is a vast variety of recreational bird baths, from which you can easily select the one you like the most.

Photo by Mark Timberlake on Unsplash

These will not only enhance the beauty of your backyard but will also attract the attention of more and more birds.

As the birds will not only bathe in the water they’ll drink it too, so you should make sure the water is kept clean. There are different kinds of water sources you can use such as birdbaths and fountains.

In the winters, heated baths can be placed to help warm up the birds.

3. Try Out Landscaping & Vegetation

Other than food and water you can do landscaping to make your backyard sanctuary look natural and it not only beautifies it but also provides a comfortable environment for the birds. By landscaping, we try to imitate the natural surroundings of the birds i.e. vegetation and plant species.

Planting a couple of trees, shrubs, and bushes will offer hiding spots and nesting spaces to the birds. While picking plants, it is necessary to select those that are compatible with the local bird species.

The atmosphere of your sanctuary must be similar to the natural habitat of birds.

Any foreign plants and weeds should be removed because they may disturb your efforts at recreating the natural environment of the bird.

Plants are a source of food for birds, that's why picking flower-bearing plants or plants that bear berries or seeds is good for creating a  bird-friendly environment. Trees are also very important as most bird species prefer trees for nesting and also for hiding from predators.

Planting trees will also help reduce the global carbon footprint, so, more power to you, bird lover!

4. Provide Shelter & Protection

Apart from planting trees for the birds, you can also add artificial bird boxes or attractive birdhouses that will not only provide shelter to the birds but also boost up the beauty of your sanctuary. Moreover, it encourages the breeding process and also provides safety for the hatchlings.

You should prefer functional birdhouses over decorative ones because birds mostly ignore them. Creating a backyard bird sanctuary comes with great responsibility, protecting your garden from predators is very important, since if the birds get scared once, they may never return.

You can use fences, hedges, and vines to create a secure space for the birds to nest.

5. Go For Rooftop Bird Nesting Area

If you don’t have a suitable yard area for creating a bird sanctuary, you can make an indoor sanctuary on your rooftop. A rooftop garden is safer and more peaceful than a backyard one. It is free from any disturbances and predators.

You can put in many different potted plants that can provide enough shelter, hiding spaces, and shade for the birds.

Be sure to install indoor birdbath and bird feeders so that the birds will get enough water and food.

By doing so you’ll soon possess an outstanding bird-watching sanctuary in your home!

Conclusion

Don’t you sometimes feel like taking a step into the peaceful atmosphere where you can just forget everything and relax? By creating your own birdwatching sanctuary you’ll get a chance to soothe your mind and soul with the sounds of mother nature’s feathery angels.

Enjoy the beauty of nature with your friends and family without having to go out.

Moreover,  a great threat to bird populations is habitat loss, thus making a bird sanctuary will not only comfort you but also help birds by giving them a proper home to live in.

Good luck in your endeavors!