Create an all-inclusive bird habitat in your own backyard with plants that provide what birds need most for food, shelter and nesting.
Create the Ultimate Backyard Bird Habitat
Published on Jan. 08, 2025
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Bird Habitat: Food, Shelter and Nesting Sites
Why go searching for birds when you can beckon them to your backyard? With a bit of intention and a few plants that provide sustenance and shelter, you can turn almost any space into an oasis for your feathered friends. They may even take up residence themselves! “Many species of birds are in decline because of habitat loss. The one place that we have some direct influence on bird habitat is in our yards,” says Emma Greig, project leader of FeederWatch at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
“By creating a bird-friendly garden, you are offering birds shelter, food and maybe even a place to nest and raise young,” Emma says. Remember that diversity is key when planning a garden that gives big-time benefits to birds of all kinds. Incorporating a variety of plants to create a well-rounded ecosystem, especially one that provides year-round use, is the best way to give an all-encompassing habitat that includes everything your avian neighbors need to thrive.
“There are lots of different species of birds that need different things: Some need seeds, some need insects, some need specific types of plants for nests,” Emma says. “By providing a variety of plants, you are making it more likely that you will meet the needs of a diverse set of species.”
Plants That Pack a Nutritious Punch
Birds spend a large part of their day foraging for food, including seeds, fruit, nectar and insects. Think like a hungry bird by considering plants that provide a garden of good eats, especially when natural food sources are scarce and daylight hours for foraging dwindle in autumn and winter. “Plants sustain birds in so many ways: by providing food in the form of seeds and berries, and by being a home for insects that birds need to eat,” Emma says. “Without plants, most birds wouldn’t be able to survive. Pigeons might be an exception!”
During the growing season, low-maintenance perennials such as ornamental grasses, coneflower, coreopsis, sunflower and sedum attract insects that nesting songbirds love to savor. Keep the bird buffet going by allowing spent flowers to remain after the season wraps so seed heads can develop and sustain overwintering birds such as chickadees, goldfinches and titmice.
And don’t forget about nectar and berry lovers! If you want to make local hummingbirds feel at home, adding nectar-rich plants with tube-shaped flowers like colorful cardinal flower and salvia, whether grown in pots or woven within the landscape, is a no-brainer.
Finally, many plants provide a bounty of berries that birds rely on, especially when colder weather comes to call. Winterberry, chokeberry, beautyberry, flowering dogwood and cotoneaster are all shrubs heavily laden with branches of nutrient-rich berries that grow to a modest size, making them suitable for even smaller gardens.
Take Cover with Trees and Shrubs
There are many benefits to providing sources of shelter for birds as habitat loss continues to impact migration habits and breeding sites. The dense foliage of trees and shrubs furnishes protection from predators during the day and cover for roosting at night. Tree branches provide stopover sites for migrating birds, lofty perches for birds to rest after foraging, and secure spots for nesting and raising broods of new bird generations.
Consider native trees and shrubs, which often have multiple benefits, such as being larval host plants that supply protein for hatchlings. “One of my personal favorites is serviceberry because it provides shelter, nesting sites, berries and insects,” says Emma. “And it is a gorgeous tree to have in your yard.” Cedar waxwings, robins, catbirds and close to 30 other species of birds agree.
To create a backyard in which birds will feel safe and at home, mimic the multiple layers of growth found in natural settings. Trees and shrubs of varying heights and forms (and even native vines such as Virginia creeper and trumpet honeysuckle), when planted together, provide a habitat that suits a variety of bird species.
In winter, evergreens are especially important in northern climates. Deciduous trees lose their leaves and birds become exposed to the elements. In addition, hollies provide year-round shelter and nesting sites, with the benefit of berries that ripen in fall and persist into winter.
The Big Three Plants for Birds
These powerhouse plants provide the ultimate bird habitat trifecta—food, cover and nesting sites!
Crabapple
Malus species, Zones 3 to 8
Robins, bluebirds, finches, cardinals and more flock to crabapples as they provide nectar and insects in spring and edible fruit in late fall. Its network of flower-flecked branches offers ideal cover and a beautiful place for birds to nest too.
Spruce
Picea species, Zones 2 to 8
A rich food source, spruces offer insects for birds like warblers in early spring while supplying seed-bearing cones and fruits in fall and winter. Their thick evergreen needles provide excellent cover. Their dense branch structure make a perfect environment for nesting.
Common milkweed
Asclepias syriaca L., Zones 3 to 8
Milkweed attracts a load of insects during the growing season that are great for birds. Plus, birds such as goldfinches and juncos eat the seeds in fall and winter. Its dense growing habit hides birds that like to forage on the ground. Species like the American goldfinch use the downy milkweed fiber to line their nests.
About the Expert
Emma Greig is the project leader of Project FeederWatch, a citizen science program, for the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Emma holds a Ph. D. from the University of Chicago and previously was a postdoctoral associate in Macaulay Library.
Sources
Wisconsin Horticulture Division of Extension – Serviceberry
Alliance for Chesapeake Bay – “Beneficial trees for birds, your appetite and your creative side”
All About Birds – “To Bring Birds to Your Garden, Grow Native Plants: Here’s How to Get Started”
The American Gardener – “Bird-Friendly Winter Gardens“
