It’s easy to get feathered friends to grace your yard with song and color all through the year. Here, we’ll help you map out an aesthetically pleasing game plan.
A Local Bird Breakdown
Spring
Cardinals, blue jays, and chickadees will fight for space on feeders filled with a mix of sunflower seeds, peanuts, and tree nuts.
Summer
Mix one part sugar with four parts water (no food coloring) and watch for ruby-throated hummingbirds.
Fall
Woodpeckers, wrens, ruby-crowned kinglets, and orange-crowned warblers flock to suet, peanuts, and seed cylinders.
Winter
Bushes or trees with berries attract cedar waxwings and American robins. Toss out millet to bring in dark-eyed juncos and other colorful sparrows.
Birdhouses That Are Actually Pretty
These 1960s-inspired dwellings are sure to attract only the most discerning avians.
Buy them at: Maestri Gallery, $400 and $330
Where to buy: Wild Birds Unlimited, $175
A DIY Designer Birdbath
A pedestal birdbath isn’t the best option for drawing birds to your yard. Birds prefer shallow water sources no more than a foot off the ground. They also prefer moving water, which sparkles in sunlight. Pair any pot or planter with a recirculating water pump to make a friendly fountain for feathered friends.
