Have you noticed fewer and fewer birds around your yard? There may be good reason. A new report by North American Bird Conservation Initiative (NABCI) reveals over the past 50 years, 70 different species of birds have seen their numbers decrease by at least half. The remaining population is projected to decline by an additional 50 percent over the next 50 years.
Aside from admiring the sheer grace and beauty of birds, these amazing creatures play an important role in maintaining the health of our ecosystems, from pollinating to seed dispersal. Many songbirds also provide valuable pest control services, feeding on insects that can damage crops.
Fortunately, each and everyone of us can take steps to help grow bird populations while attracting more birds to our own backyards! The first step is to plant native plants that attract birds to your yard. There are many to chose from that will look great, benefit you and support birds.
Here are six native plants that pack a powerful diet for 96 percent of backyard birds. Be sure to research the local species native to where you live.
Blue Wood Aster
Aster cordifolius
These plants have a plethora of small blue flowers that bloom from June to November. They grow to a height of 2-4 feet with a spread of 1.5-2 feet and attract songbirds with their seeds, which are especially important during the winter months.
MONEY PIT PODCAST
How to Find Best Native Plants No Matter Where You Live
Shubber Ali, CEO of Garden for Wildlife joins hosts Tom Kraeutler and Leslie Segrete with tips on how to find native plants that will thrive and attract birds in your local area, as well as how to create a Certified Wildlife Habitat in your own backyard!
Read Transcript
| 00:00 | Tom: Making good homes better. This is The Money Pit, Home Improvement Show. I’m Tom Kraeutler. |
| 00:04 | Leslie: And I’m Leslie Segrete. |
| 00:06 | Tom: Well, watching beautiful birds make your home their home can be a very welcome experience. We love watching around our house, the amazing hummingbirds as they dart from our feeders and flowers throughout the warm weather seasons. |
| 00:19 | Leslie: Now, if you’d enjoy seeing birds in your yard, but they don’t seem to be that interested in seeing you. Well, the solution might be as simple as adding the native plants that they love. So joining us with tips on the best plans to attract birds to your yard this spring is Shubber Ali, the CEO of Gardens for Wildlife. Welcome, shover. |
| 00:38 | Shubber: Thank you. Great to be here. |
| 00:40 | Tom: We have folks that are all over the nation and we want to give them some advice on the best plants to attract birds with their particular yard. I know that that’s difficult because I think what I’ve read from your materials is it really comes down to choosing native plants for their particular area. Can you give us some examples maybe of the types of native plants that might be good in general for some of them, maybe in the corners of the country, and then where we can figure out how to get the native plants for our area. |
| 01:07 | Shubber: Yeah, absolutely. So native plants is the key thing because they provide the food sources that ultimately birds rely on for their young. A couple of the most popular ones that are out there for attracting native birds to your yard would be things like eastern Columbine, cardinal flowers, of course purple cone flowers are very popular. The trick with these various kinds of perennials is you want to know the size you’re going to be because they get quite large in terms of their spread. So you can always trim them back. But the Cone Flower can get as high as three to 6 feet with the spread of two to four feet. So when you plant them, they seem small, but you want to make sure you don’t crowd them out as you’re doing it. |
| 01:42 | Leslie: So is there a way to kind of know what would be the best plant for your area and are you kind of picking a plant to attract a specific bird or you get what you get when you plant the right plant? So it’s a little bit of both. |
| 01:54 | Shubber: There’s absolutely a way to find out what’s the right plans for your yard. One of the things is the national wildlife federation, which is the organization that is our parent, has been around for obviously many, many decades, and their focus on bringing back native habitat for a variety of native species. And they have this fantastic tool called the native plant finder, the database, where you literally put in your zip code and it gives you what are all the native plants for your specific area. And it’s key because oftentimes people plant plants with the best of intention, but they’re from other parts of the world. And so while they’re pretty, they’re not really doing the job that’s important for the local wildlife that needs them. |
| 02:29 | Leslie: And then as far as the birds go, I mean, is it just the birds that are in your area will naturally be drawn to those plants? Or are you kind of planting a specific plant to attract, say, a hummingbird or a cardinal or something more specific? |
| 02:42 | Shubber: So you can plant different ones that actually attract specific species of birds, for instance, based on the kinds of things like certain ones that attract hummingbirds, particularly which feed in a very unique way. But the key is actually what they’re doing is they’re attracting the pollinators and oftentimes the pollinators, they’re young, the caterpillars are the food source for many of the birds. And so those birds return when there is food for their plus things that are in the nest. And without the caterpillar, so for instance, a clutch of chickadees in the nest will eat between 6,000 to 9,000 caterpillars during the short period with their developing, right? So you need to have more places where those caterpillars can be found, which means more of the native plants. So the more you plant, and I’ve done this in my own yard over the last three years, you know, pandemic was great for gardening. And I planted lots of native plants, and the number of songbirds that have returned to my yard is just amazing. I mean, every time I look out the window, there’s literally dozens floating around in the trees. |
| 03:36 | Tom: This sounds a lot like what you do when you plant a butterfly garden, do butterfly gardens and native gardens that attract birds. Are they many of the same plants? |
| 03:44 | Shubber: Yeah, depending on where you are, absolutely, because the butterflies are something to keep pollinators. In fact, there are different kinds of flowers that you can plant for butterflies. Obviously, the problem is the most well-known is the milkweed for the monarchs, which are extremely endangered. I think the IUCN has classified them as endangered butterflies. And the reason why is because their food source, the milkweed has been disappearing. And so this is one of the things people are planting a lot of, and we actually have a monarch conservation program at NWF for just that purpose. But there are lots of different kinds of butterflies that use different kinds of these native flowers. |
| 04:18 | Tom: We’re talking to Shubber Ali. He’s the CEO of gardens for wildlife about the best plans to attract birds to your yard this spring. So in addition to selecting the best plants, what else can we do to our sort of yard environment to make it attractive for birds? Should we be feeding them directly? What about bird baths, that sort of thing any way that they need to be protected that we should be aware of? |
| 04:43 | Shubber: Absolutely. In fact, you’ve actually hit on a big thing, which is it’s more than just food sources. And yes, you couldn’t put bird pictures out there as well, and I’ll actually talk about the kinds of food that are the best for them. But it’s also water. Every life form needs water, having water sources in your yard for wildlife is important, especially the birds, whether it’s for bathing or drinking, what have you. Also, shelter. A place where they can protect their young and protect themselves from predators is important. There’s actually a program that NWF has called the Certified Wildlife Habitat. And over 300,000 of these have been created across the U.S., most of them I think over 60% of them are individual homes. So like my House is a Certified Wildlife Habitat. And that’s the way you provide food, water, shelter, a place to raise young. All those together, not that hard to do. And it’s amazing the impact you can have. |
| 05:32 | Leslie: Now, what do you do about keeping those plants thriving? I mean, how do you go about feeding them or fertilizing in a way that doesn’t harm the birds? |
| 05:41 | Shubber: Well, the beauty is that native plants are the ones that we’re here to begin with before we started terraforming and replace them with these big sterile lawns that we all have. And it kind of rolled across the country. Native plants know what to do when they’re here. And perennials, the beauty of them as well, which from a pocketbook point of view is also good is that they come back on their own. Perennials last for years oftentimes. And so what that means is every year they’re coming back bigger and better. And so all you really have to do is provide the basics the mulch protected. Don’t cut them down too much because the insects and things use them even throughout the winter. And the new ones will grow back the next spring. Don’t use pesticides in them because pesticides are bad for the insects again as well, which has been bad for being a food source for the birds. Try to use natural pest control if you need to. What’s really good is that by bringing the birds back, they actually serve as pest control as well because they’re also eating the insects that bug us. No pun intended. |
| 06:33 | Tom: You are the CEO of Garden for Wildlife. I understand you’re celebrating your 50th anniversary quite an accomplishment. Tell us about the things that Garden for Wildlife does. |
| 06:41 | Shubber: So Garden For Wildlife is a program that was started in 1973 by the National Wildlife Federation and its focused really on a couple of things. There’s education to let people know about the things that we’ve been talking about, why native plants are so important, how you can help wildlife by using data plants in your own garden, which is a very easy thing for people to do, especially when people feel like I don’t really know what I can do, the world seems like a big scary place. And so many bad things are happening. Well, actually, you can make a difference in your yard. And so this program has been great for that. The certified wildlife habitat program has been a big part of that. And about three years ago, NWF realizes one of the challenges for people was, okay, they’ve been educated on native plants, but it’s really hard to find that. If you go to your local big box retailer or garden center, most of what you find are invasive species from other parts of the world, which are pretty, they look good, but they actually serve almost no value to the pollinators and the insects that need native plants. And so if you want to go and find me to plant, it’s often hard unless you can find local nurseries that carry them. A lot of these national delivery places that you can order native plants online. The problem is you still have to do the research to find out if they’re native for your area. So NWF said, what if we created a platform that allowed people to just put in their zip code using that native plane fighter database and be shown plants that they can buy for their specific area and have them shipped directly to their door, right? So taking advantage of the Amazon world, we all live in. And that is how GardenForWildlife.com was born. That’s the company that is being spun out of NWS to make it easier for people to do this at home themselves. |
| 08:13 | Yeah, you got a great website. And as you mentioned earlier, all you need to do is to enter your zip code and it presents the native plants that are eligible for planting in your particular area of the country. So a really easy way to do this, to find the right plants to attract birds to your yard so that you can enjoy them all year round really and especially in the warmer months when the birds are just so prevalent. Shubber Ali, the CEO of Garden for Wildlife. Thank you so much for stopping by The Money Pit. Great tips, great information on how we can attract birds to our homes. And thank you so much for all the work that you guys do to keep those birds safe and give us the kind of tips that we need to be successful both as home gardeners and as birding admirers. Thanks again, Shubber. |
| 08:57 | Shubber: It was my pleasure. Thank you. |
| 08:58 | Tom: Now, if you’d like to find the native plants that work good and you’re part of the country, just go to GardenForWildlife.com. Follow the prompts. There’s a spot where you can enter your zip code. You’ll be presented with choices for all the different plants that will help attract birds to your space. Again, that website is GardenForWildlife.com. |
Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
These plants have purple, daisy-like flowers that bloom from June to September and provide seeds for birds, whether fresh or dried. They grow to a height of 3-6 feet with a spread of 2-4 feet and attract a variety of pollinators, including songbirds, native bees, butterflies, bumblebees, hummingbirds, moths, and beneficial insects.
Oxeye Sunflower
Heliopsis helianthoides
These plants have bright yellow, daisy-like flowers that bloom from April to September and attract a variety of pollinators, including songbirds, caterpillars, butterflies, native bees, hummingbirds, bumblebees, moths, and beneficial insects. They grow to a height of 2-5 feet with a spread of 1.5-2 feet and can be grown in partial shade to full sun. They also provide bountiful seeds for songbirds.
Cardinal Flowers
Lobelia cardinalis
These plants have beautiful, bright red flowers that bloom from July to October. They grow to a height of 2-4 feet and have a spread of 1-2 feet. They are a hardy species that can tolerate moist soils. In addition to attracting hummingbirds, they also attract native bees, bumblebees, and butterflies.
Eastern Columbine
Aquilegia canadensis
This perennial wildflower has unique, long spurred flowers that bloom from March to July. They grow to a height of 1-3 feet with a spread of 1-1.5 feet. They attract a wide variety of pollinators including songbirds, hummingbirds, native bees, beneficial insects, beetles, and bumblebees.
Wild Bergamot
Monarda fistulosa
These plants have fragrant, showy flowers in shades of purple, which bloom from May to September. They grow to a height of 1-4 feet with a spread of 2-3 feet. These plants are a pollinator favorite, as not only do they attract songbirds, but also native bees and butterflies.
More Tips for Attracting Birds to Your Home
To attract and protect birds in your garden, you can add sources of food, water, and habitat. This can include installing a bird feeder, a birdbath, and planting native plants and trees or shrubs to provide cover. To protect birds from harm, try to avoid using synthetic pesticides and opt for natural pest control methods instead.
According to Shubber Ali, CEO of Garden for Wildlife, it is important for everyone to prioritize the protection of wildlife and biodiversity. He believes that by saving birds, we will also be able to preserve many other species that coexist with us on the earth.
Birds rely on us for support. By providing the necessary resources, we can make a significant impact on their conservation in just a single weekend. Let’s take action to protect these important members of our ecosystem.
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