How to Attract Birds to a Birdhouse

Love birds and want to create a space for them to spend more time in your yard? A birdhouse will help entice feathered beauties to spend more time near your home. Along with making sure you're providing a bird-friendly backyard habitat, you'll want to hang your birdhouse in the optimal place and consider the best type of birdhouses to use. Here’s what you need to know about how to attract birds to a birdhouse in your yard.

Which Birds Use Birdhouses?

To attract birds to a birdhouse, the first step is knowing the nesting habits of the species you want around. Cavity nesting birds, such as bluebirds, chickadees, flycatchers, nuthatches, trogons, and wrens as well as some duck species, use birdhouses or nest boxes. According to Zach Hutchinson, ornithologist and owner of FlockingAround, “Over 60 species regularly use a properly built and placed birdhouse.”

Tips for Attracting Birds to a New Birdhouse

Before setting up a birdhouse, there are several things to consider to ensure success. And think about a bird’s perspective. “Birds nest where needs are met,” says Hutchinson.

1. Know Your Region's Bird Species

Putting up a birdhouse doesn’t guarantee birds will automatically arrive at the new doorstep. Familiarize yourself with the bird species that inhabit the area where you live. “I generally recommend that birdhouse enthusiasts seek to attract birds that are already present in their neighborhoods, or in the directly adjacent fields or woods,” says Marc Parnell, ornithologist and bestselling author of The Birding Pro's Field Guides. “This ensures that nearby foraging habitat is likely very accessible and that the nest box will be more quickly discovered.”

2. Plant Natives

Make your backyard or front lawn a haven for many avian species simply by choosing the right plants. “Native flowers, grasses, shrubs, and trees host native insects, the most critical food to almost all nestbox birds,” says Hutchinson. Parnell adds, “Many birds are naturally specialized to forage, hide, and roost in native plant life, and such a landscape consequently fosters a more diverse avian ecosystem.”

3. Provide a Water Source

Birds need access to water to drink and bathe. Hutchison knows offering a water source for birds may not be possible for everyone but a natural basin where water can collect will suffice. “Use a scalloped stone or a flat, shallow dish to collect rain and dew,” Hutchinson says. “These collectors help our feathered friends have a semi-reliable water source.”

4. Add a Bird-Feeding Station

Set up a birdfeeder for the types of bird species you want to attract. “Many birds follow the same foraging routes each day, and others selectively choose breeding territories based on the available resources at hand: both of which can lead to a single backyard receiving bustling hordes of dependable visitors for years to come,” explains Parnell.

5. Offer Brush Piles

If you like your yard tidy and manicured, find an out-of-the-way spot where you can leave out some branches and yard debris, known as brush piles, for wild birds to create a home. “Brush piles offer an outstanding source of shelter to many birds, which can further increase the likelihood of a wider variety of species visiting your immediate surroundings,” says Parnell.

6. Minimize Predators

Birds need to feel safe wherever they seek shelter. Ensure your birdhouse is easy for birds to reach but not for predators. Keep in mind some bird species can be predators of other birds. “House sparrows and European starlings are two aggressive, invasive bird species that will try their hardest to displace your native nestbox users,” says Hutchinson. “Use predator baffles to keep raccoons, squirrels, rats, and snakes from crawling up your birdhouse pole and raiding the nest.”

7. Base Your Birdhouse on the Bird Species

Birds are particular about their nest as well as the type of birdhouse they like so keep that in mind when selecting a birdhouse. “If you seek to target certain birds, consider searching online for species-specific blueprints or for well-reviewed nest boxes that fit the recommended dimensions,” says Parnell.

8. Leave Birdhouses Empty

You may be tempted to decorate the inside of a birdhouse and create a cozy environment but leave it to the birds to decide what they place inside their home. “Birds tend to be highly particular, and are likely to even remove any suggested starting materials provided by a well-intentioned owner,” says Parnell.

9. Have Patience

With many variables influencing where birds take shelter, don’t be surprised if they aren’t using the birdhouse immediately. “Be patient! It may take a year or two for the suitable species to find and fill your newly mounted birdhouse,” says Hutchinson.  “Lack of use does not mean you have not provided an optimal space.” He shares it’s possible that a bird hasn’t found your birdhouse yet.