How to Attract Birds to Your Garden: Foods they like, plants they love, shelter they need

by Dan Rouse

Help your local wild birds by providing them with a safe garden environment

Make a difference to your local birdlife. Help reverse the decline in bird numbers by creating a haven in which they will thrive. It's a win-win. Provide the best shelter, feeding and nesting opportunities for them and then you can reap the rewards as they sing and entertain.

No need to be an expert gardener already, or to break the bank - many of the most beneficial features can be installed easily and cheaply, and many you can build yourself or upcycle to be eco-friendly.

Genres: Nonfiction, Nature, Gardening, Birds, Reference, Animals, Science

191 pages, Hardcover

First published October 15, 2020

Reviews

[Marco]

Maak van je tuin een waar vogelparadijs. Met eenvoudige tips over planten, voederplekken, nestelgelegenheid. Je hoeft geen groene vingers te hebben om op grond van dit boekje aan de slag te gaan. Als je meer vogeltjes in de tuin wilt krijgen, is dit boek een echte aanrader.

[Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance]

How to Attract Birds to Your Garden goes over all the important information about birds, focusing on the four most important needs of birds: food, water, nesting sites, and plants for shelter. It offers specific information on the best plants to grow in your garden for birds. The book contains great detail on the types of foods birds seek. There is information on how to make your own feeders and birdhouses. The back of the book gives an overview of key facts about most of the common backyard birds.

[Wendy]

While very visually appealing and well laid out, I was disappointed to see plant recommendations that included invasive species and non-natives. The authors could have easily replaced some of their food course recommendations with plants that are better for birds, pollinators, and biodiversity.

[Kristen]

My favorite of the rash of new bird books my library just got. Feels friendly, accessible, and inspiring, and has good info. It really is about attracting birds to your yard and appreciating them — so if you want a deep dive into species or behavior, this isn’t the book for you.

[Tammy]

A great book, full of fab ideas if you are looking to turn your garden into a wildlife area, and encourage birds and insects to visit.

[Collette Mcdonough]

This is a good book for getting you started on making your yard more bird friendly. I would suggest also doing research on what plants would be best suited for your area. I can't wait to make a few extra bird houses with the directions included.

[Nathan]

Very colorful and informative primer to attracting birds to your garden.

[Marcus]

Attractively illustrated & compiled introductory topics with concise, easily-accessible text on plants, habitats, ponds & a bird ID guide.

[Woomo]

I really enjoyed how this book actually stayed on topic, unlike a lot of these type of books. It did go into some detail about bird behavior and nesting locations, but it actually relates to attracting birds to your garden.

There's some cute diys on making your own suet, bird feeders, ponds, etc. It also goes over plants to grow in your garden to attract specific types of birds.

It is a pretty small book, so don't expect a plethora of information. But it is a fantastic way to start your journey on this subject.

[Donna Schwartz]

Since the start of the pandemic, I have spent a lot of time observing the wildlife in our backyard. A lot of different birds have shown up and when I saw this book, I couldn't resist.
It tells how to attract different types of birds by what types of plants you have for shelter and what types of seeds they eat. I liked the section on bird houses as certain birds are attracted to specific kinds of bird houses.

A couple suggestions for the author: they do not talk about mosquitoes that could be attracted by bird baths. They suggest different types of ponds, but they all seemed like quite a bit of work to keep them from growing algae or getting slimy. They suggested some really big ponds that very few people would want in their yards. No mention is made of safety issues with young children.
Some of the print was difficult to read unless it was just in the right light; the best light being bright sunlight.

I loved the section where the author showed pictures of different types of birds and told what they looked like with pictures and description. It also talked about which birds were migratory and what foods they preferred.

All in all an interesting book.

[(a)lyss(a)]

I received a copy of this book through the Amazon Vine program in exchange for an honest review.

This is a fun book!

It's colorful and beautiful and very informative. It's a great introductory guide that highlights the important things to provide for birds. There's information on identifying birds, the lifecycle of birds, how to provide them with the essentials like food and shelter and seeds, as well as information about bird houses. There's even some fun feeder-inspired crafts!

The book touches on some common birds seen across the US. It's a great guide for making a good environment for birds!

[Ron]

Even though I'd already known quite a lot about the subject, I still learnt something new! I absolutely loved all the DIY projects for making bird feeders, among others. All the drawings and pictures also contributed to such a pretty and engaging layout. I'd definitely recommend it to anybody who wants to attract wildlife to their gardens - not only birds, because the book also covers making your green space suitable for other animals, such as insects and amphibians.

[Helen Pickett]

All rounder book for your garden on how to optimise birds visiting as well as other wildlife. Covering nesting, feeding, planting and water as well as bird profiles.
A book that you can refer back to time and again. Hand drawn pictures as well as photos.

[Lynda]

We LOVED this wonderful book. So much information. We learned a lot about birds and in such an enjoyable way. The author presented details naturally and so freshly - my daughter didn’t feel like this was a “school” book just a fun way to learn about our feathery neighbors.

[Denise]

UK book. General info ok for Australia

[Mary Rank]

This book was for beginners. It spoke very generally and broadly. The best part was the study of 52 birds in the last section.

[Mmfniteowl]

Good book for those just starting to feed the birds. Nice illustrations

[H]

If you want to see birds in your garden, this book will help. It includes many different ways to attract many different types of birds. Worthy addition to a library.

[A MD]

Highly informative with clear instructions in the DIY sections.

[Jessica Camacho]

I mostly skimmed the book, I concentrated on/read closely what I needed or wanted as a gardener - to know or confirm. Wonderful pictures, good ideas, excellent information.

[Deathatlas2020]

Goeie tips om je tuin vogelvriendelijk te maken