With increasing urbanisation, there has been a noticeable drop in bird populations in the city. This is a sad state of affairs. However, there are some easy ways to attract these beautiful creatures to your garden or yard. But first, why should you create a haven for birds in your garden?
Gumtree outlines the following benefits:
- Birds are great pollinators as they move pollen from one flower to another as they fly. This is vital to the production of fruit and seeds.
- Birds are a natural pest control and an important part of the food chain. They can eliminate mosquito and Japanese beetle populations to a large extent.
- Species such as finches and sparrows eat weed seeds, thereby acting as excellent weed control.
- Children are encouraged to and love spending more time in a garden that is visited by birds of all kinds.
- Birds are also great stress busters. Imagine sitting on your patio with a cup of hot coffee, listening to the songbirds in your garden – it doesn’t get more relaxing than that!
Now that you know how important it is to have birds in your garden, here are our top tips to attract them:
- Plant more native plants that provide nectar, nourishing seeds and fruits to birds.
- A garden planted with indigenous trees provides natural shelters or roosting sites for birds to nest.
- Hang a bird bath in a secluded part of the garden so the birds can visit undisturbed.
- Invest in a bird feeder equipped with small perches for the birds to eat and rest.
- A nesting box or a hollowed-out log is a favourite among birds such as barbets for breeding.
Now that you’ve got the knowledge, it’s time to shop! Head to gumtree.co.za or your Gumtree app (click for Apple & Android) and don’t forget to use your location settings to find garden information close to home.
