While people look at gardens with their own needs in mind, beauty, home-grown food etc., birds look at a garden for their own needs. Birds look for shelter, food and water and the greater the abundance in a yard, the more species of birds will be found in that yard.

Not all birds are migratory and those that do not migrate, still, require food and water through the winter. Harsh and cold weather can leave birds without an adequate food supply.

Bushes and shrubs are great for providing birds with fruits and seeds. Having a variety of these growths assures a variety of species that will want to visit a yard and, at least one bush should provide berries year ‘round. Local nurseries and greenhouses can help to decide what kind of shrubs and vines will work in any given location.

Bushes, also, provide shelter from predators. Dense bushes make convenient nesting sites, cover and seclusion. They are, also, and excellent place for bird to dry off after a rejuvenating swim in the bird bath. Bird baths are wonderful providers of drinking water and baths for birds. Birds prefer to bathe at ground level, but if predators are a concern, the bath can be set two to three feet above the ground.

Bird feeders are, also, an essential for drawing birds into a yard. Many styles are available from squirrel proof to window bird feeders to tube feeders and platform feeders. And as many styles that there are, that many can be set up in a given yard. Putting up a variety of bird feeders will bring a variety of species into your yard.

The concern for birds is, also, an excuse to not rake leaves. As the leaves begin to soften and get older, birds find protein by feeding on the insects that live in the leaf piles.

Planting bushes, piling up leaves and twigs and providing water is a wonderful way to attract birds to your yard and these are simple activities for anyone. While our country becomes more and more urbanized, many of the habitats of birds are being destroyed. So a little consideration for birds s will reward their human friends.