10 Proven Tips to Attract More Birds to Your Backyard This Season

Whether you’re a seasoned birdwatcher or just starting to discover the joy of backyard birding, there’s nothing quite like stepping outside on a quiet morning and hearing a chorus of birdsong. The good news? Attracting a wide variety of birds to your yard is easier than you might think. With a few thoughtful changes, you can transform your outdoor space into a thriving bird sanctuary — and enjoy the show from your kitchen window.

Here are 10 proven tips to bring more birds to your backyard this season.

1. Offer the Right Seeds for the Birds You Want

Not all birds eat the same thing, and the seed you put out makes a huge difference in who shows up. Black-oil sunflower seeds are the gold standard — they attract cardinals, chickadees, nuthatches, finches, and dozens of other species. Safflower seeds are a favorite of cardinals and doves, and have the added bonus of being unappealing to squirrels. Nyjer (thistle) seed in a tube feeder will draw goldfinches and pine siskins in droves.

Avoid cheap mixed seed blends filled with milo and millet — most songbirds toss them aside, and they just end up rotting on the ground.

2. Add a Water Source

A fresh, clean water source may be even more important than food. Birds need water for drinking and bathing year-round, and a simple birdbath can attract species that never visit feeders at all — including warblers, thrushes, and orioles.

Keep the water shallow (no more than 2–3 inches deep), change it every 2–3 days to prevent mosquito breeding, and consider adding a small solar-powered dripper or wiggler. Moving water catches the light and the sound carries — birds find it irresistible.

3. Plant Native Trees and Shrubs

Feeders are wonderful, but native plants are the real foundation of a bird-friendly yard. Native trees, shrubs, and flowers provide natural food sources — berries, seeds, nectar, and insects — that birds have relied on for thousands of years. They also offer nesting sites and shelter from predators.

Some top choices include: serviceberry, native viburnums, coneflowers, black-eyed Susans, and native oaks (which support hundreds of caterpillar species that birds feed to their young).

4. Keep Your Feeders Clean

Dirty feeders are one of the leading causes of disease in backyard birds. Wet, moldy seed can harbor bacteria and fungi that cause serious illness. Make it a habit to clean your feeders every 1–2 weeks with a solution of one part bleach to nine parts water, then rinse thoroughly and allow to dry completely before refilling.

Pay special attention to tube feeders, where seed can clump and mold at the bottom, and platform feeders, which are exposed to rain and droppings.

5. Place Feeders Strategically

Where you put your feeders matters as much as what you put in them. Place feeders within 3 feet of a window (to reduce dangerous window strikes) or more than 30 feet away. Birds feel safest when feeders are near cover — a shrub or tree they can dart to if a hawk appears — but not so close that cats can use it as a hiding spot.

Ground-feeding birds like juncos, sparrows, and doves appreciate a low platform feeder or simply seed scattered on the ground beneath your hanging feeders.

6. Offer Suet in the Colder Months

Suet — rendered animal fat mixed with seeds, nuts, or berries — is a high-energy food that woodpeckers, nuthatches, chickadees, and wrens absolutely love. It’s especially valuable in fall and winter when insects are scarce and birds need extra calories to stay warm.

Pick up a wire suet cage at any hardware or garden store, hang it from a tree or feeder pole, and watch the woodpeckers arrive within days.

7. Provide Nesting Materials and Nest Boxes

Give birds a reason to stay in your yard all season by offering nesting opportunities. Put up nest boxes sized for the species you want to attract — bluebird boxes, chickadee houses, and wren boxes are all excellent choices. Face the entrance hole away from prevailing winds and predators, and mount them at the appropriate height for each species.

You can also hang a mesh bag filled with natural nesting materials: short lengths of natural fiber string, dried grass, pet fur (not synthetic), and small twigs. Watch birds carry these off one by one — it’s endlessly entertaining.

8. Reduce or Eliminate Pesticide Use

Insects are the backbone of the bird food chain. Even seed-eating birds feed insects to their nestlings because of the high protein content. When you spray pesticides, you don’t just kill the “bad” bugs — you eliminate the entire insect community that birds depend on.

Try to embrace a more relaxed approach to your garden. A few aphids on the roses are a feast for a warbler. Caterpillars on the oak tree are raising a family of chickadees.

9. Make Your Windows Bird-Safe

Window strikes kill an estimated 600 million birds in the United States every year. If you’ve ever heard that sickening thud, you know how heartbreaking it is. The good news is that there are simple, effective solutions.

Apply window decals, tape, or exterior screens to break up the reflection. Hang strings of paracord or ribbon 4 inches apart on the outside of the glass. Move feeders to within 3 feet of the window so birds can’t build up enough speed to injure themselves if they do fly toward the glass.

10. Be Patient — and Keep a Journal

Attracting birds takes time. It may take days or even weeks for birds to discover a new feeder. Once they do, they’ll tell their friends, and the variety will grow steadily through the seasons.

Keep a simple journal of what you see and when. Note the date of your first goldfinch, your first ruby-throated hummingbird, your first dark-eyed junco of the fall. Over time, you’ll develop a deep understanding of the rhythms of migration and the birds that call your yard home — and that knowledge is one of the most rewarding parts of the whole hobby.

Wear Your Love for Birds

If backyard birding has captured your heart the way it has ours, why not wear it proudly? At Your Bird Buddy, we design shirts, mugs, and gifts for people who love birds as much as we do — from folk art songbird tees to celestial pigeon shirts to the Birdwatchers Club doodle tee. Every design is made for the bird lover who believes every feather is a reminder of something beautiful.

Shop our collection on Etsy →

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