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Building a Bird-Friendly Paradise for Your Feathered Friends ... and Yourself! 🐦⛲🔥
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items Thinking of turning your garden into a paradise for the birds? As a bird nerd, nature lover, and wildlife photographer, I've compiled a shortlist of some backyard essentials (and extras, should you wish to “birdify” your living space, too) for your c...
Note: This list may contain affiliate links, which means that I may receive a commission (at no extra charge to you) if you make a purchase using these links.
Note: This list may contain affiliate links, which means that I may receive a commission (at no extra charge to you) if you make a purchase using these links.
Sections
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For the Birds
For the Birders
For the Birds
Just about everything you need to create an eden for your favorite avians!
Budget permitting, a fountain (with a built-in bubbler) can upscale your bird-friendly garden.
Backyard Fountains
There is no more heartwrenching sound than that of a bird hitting a (clean) window. Anti-collision UV-proof decals, window stencils, or suncatchers are worthy deterrents.
Bird Anti-Collision Products: Reducing Window Strikes
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Squirrels are tenacious creatures. They amaze me with the time and effort they will expend in overcoming “squirrel-proof” devices!
Bird Feeder Poles
Also known as Oriole feeders for those songbirds can enjoy a varied diet of jam and fresh fruit (orange). Keep these refreshed daily – you don't want rodents or other (larger) sweet-toothed creatures partaking and wrecking the party!
Bird Feeders (Jam & Fruit)
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If you want Blue Jays (or corvids in general – including ravens and crows) to show up in your backyard, peanut bird feeders are a must.
Bird Feeders (Peanut)
Unless you want squirrels to help themselves, a squirrelproof bird feeder is indispensable (they will find a way around simple squirrel baffles--trust me on this one!) Feeders with roofs or rainguards (to protect against the elements) and easy-to-cle...
Bird Feeders (Mixed Seed)
I use a combination of basin and upright hummingbird feeders in the backyard and around the house. For durability, I prefer glass and metal to plastic.
Bird Feeders (Nectar)
Suet that hasn't been eaten for more than a few weeks should be thrown away. They can cause mold to grow on suet feeders (especially on the ones with wooden housings).
Bird Feeders (Suet)
Bird suet and mixed seed comes in many sizes and shapes, from conventional balls to bells, to highly inventive ones like owls and birdhouses. Whatever you choose, catcher trays are a necessity!
Bird Food (Suet/Mixed Seed)
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Make it easy for bird parents to gather their nestbuilding material, if it's not readily available.
Bird Nesting Material
Get a birdbath with a sturdy, heavy-bottomed base (in case the raccoons come a-knockin', and I do mean a-knockin'). Consider placing round smooth stones in fountains that may be a little deeper in some spots for smaller birds.
The stained glass bir...
Birdbaths
Peep shows (of the natural world) that we humans actually want to watch!
Birdhouse Cams
Get nestboxes with holes appropriate to the size of your infanticipating birds. Easy-to-clean, light-colored or unpainted ones are best.
Birdhouses: Raising the Next Generation in Safety and Style
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You do not want fallen seed or suet to attract rats or mice. Birds are messy eaters, so a catcher tray is a necessity.
Birdseed Catcher Trays
No sense in setting up birdhouses that may be taken advantage of by cats or raptors. Invest in a predator guard.
Predator Guards for Birdhouses
Birds are used to being wet – these rain guards are more for protecting unsheltered seed, suet, and nectar feeders from the elements (rain, snow) that could lead to the buildup of mold. I prefer metal or recycled wood rain guards.
Rain Guards & Umbrellas
For the Birders
Books, plush toys, games, decor, and more. You can't bird every day (or can you?) but you can celebrate your feathered friends with these colorful bird nerd gift ideas!
Cornell Lab of Ornithology's first softcover coloring book, featuring 40 of America's favorite birds. I was privileged to have my photo of a Green-Winged Teal selected by the CLO (and then voted by hundreds of bird enthusiasts) to be featured as a re...
America's Favorite Birds: 40 Birds to Color Coloring Book (Softcover)
I was honored again by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology when they selected my photo of a Spotted Towhee for inclusion into their second coloring book. If you love birds, flowers, and like to color with pencils, markers, or watercolor pencils, then you'...
Backyard Birds and Blossoms: Nurturing Your Nature at Home Coloring Book (Softcover)
This puzzle is great for building muscle memory and makes a wonderful and lasting piece of art when completed, too!
BODHIPNJOY Round Parrots Wooden Puzzle 500pc
A birding mentor to many (myself included), BC-based wildlife photographer and nature conservationist Melissa Hafting explores the power of birds to heal her after the deaths of her parents in her first book. She shares stunning images of birds throu...
Dare to Bird: Joy and Healing Power (Melissa Hafting)
The farm puns are the best ones, and you can think up sooo many wordplays with eggs.
DBTF Eggcellent Ideas Funny Chickens Notebook
This stainless steel necklace is the stunning way to showcase your love of hummingbirds!
Gonashow Colorful Hummingbird Necklace
This beautiful stained glass owl suncatcher enhances the charm of your home.
tiedashu Stained Glass Owl Suncatcher
If you can't get enough of your feathered visitors, Wild Republic's plush trio (Northern Cardinal, American Goldfinch, and Black-Capped Chickadee) - complete with their signature birdsongs - ought to make your heart sing with joy!
Wild Republic Audubon Birds Plush Toy Collection with Bird Sounds
Being an avid birder, this is the one game that I Iook forward to playing – and the add-on packs open up even more gameplaying possibilities!
Wingspan Board Game
Record your sightings, sketches, and observations of the natural world in these journals, which feature the nature and wildlife photography of W.H. Sim. All Rights Reserved.
WWN The Complete Nature Journals Collection