Food, water and shelter are the basic requirements for attracting birds to a yard. But you can boost the number and variety of species that visit by taking an additional landscaping step—learning the birds’ preferences.
Birdscaping plants should be chosen to provide food and shelter year round, said Leonard Perry, horticulture professor emeritus with the University of Vermont.
“Native plants should be a major component, as they provide a huge food source for birds, especially insects, which have co-evolved with them,” Perry said. “Ninety-six percent of terrestrial bird species depend on insects—and lots of them.”
Many landscapes now contain relatively few native plants, perhaps no more than 25 percent, he said.
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