How to Attract Songbirds to Your Garden: Creating a Bird-Friendly Habitat

If you want to attract more songbirds to your garden, there’s much more to it than simply putting out a bird feeder.

The key to cultivating a bird-friendly yard is to provide three basic necessities: food, habitat, and cover. When these elements come together, your landscape becomes a thriving sanctuary where birds love to nest, feed, and sing.

1 Food for Songbirds

Food can come in many forms—fruit, seeds, and invertebrates (bugs) are all on the menu. While bird feeders can supplement their diet, planting the right trees, shrubs, and perennials is the best long-term strategy for supporting birds naturally.

Native shade trees are especially valuable because they provide food and shelter at once. For example, oak trees can host over 500 species of caterpillars—the crème de la crème of baby bird food! In fact, 96% of North American songbirds feed their young caterpillars. (Think about it—it’s like a soft, protein-packed snack that’s much easier for baby birds to eat than a crunchy grasshopper.)

Many other native trees also host hundreds of caterpillar species, including:

• Birch, Hickory, Cherry, Pine, Spruce, Cottonwood, Willow, Sycamore, Maple, Elm, Hawthorn, Alder, Ash, Linden, Walnut, Beech, and Chestnut.

  That’s a lot of natural nourishment for young songbirds!

2 Fruit-Bearing Trees and Shrubs

Trees and shrubs that produce berries and fruit are another essential food source for birds. Some top choices include:

• Mulberry, Serviceberry, Dogwood, Crabapple, Juniper, Bayberry, Sumac, Viburnum, Winterberry, Elderberry, Virginia Creeper, and Native Honeysuckle.

Whenever possible, choose native plants for birds. Native species produce the fruits and seeds that local birds evolved to recognize and depend on. While birds will sometimes eat non-native berries, native plants offer the best nutrition and timing for migration and breeding cycles.

And don’t forget—shrubs do double duty! They not only produce berries but also offer valuable cover and nesting spots for birds seeking shelter from predators or harsh weather.

3 Seed Sources for Songbirds

Many birds, including finches and sparrows, are big seed eaters. They love the seedheads from native perennials and annuals in the Asteraceae family, such as:

• Sunflowers (Helianthus)
• Purple Coneflower (Echinacea)
• Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia)
• Tickseed (Coreopsis)
• Native Asters (Symphyotrichum)

Other great seed-producing plants include Gayfeather (Liatris), Joe Pye Weed (Eutrochium), Millet, and Amaranth.

Native ornamental grasses are another songbird favorite. They provide both seeds and cover through the winter. Consider adding:

• Big Bluestem (Andropogon)
• Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium)
• Switch Grass (Panicum)
• Indian Grass (Sorghastrum)
• Northern Sea Oats (Chasmanthium)
• Blue Grama (Bouteloua)

Creating a Year-Round Bird Habitat

By layering native trees, shrubs, grasses, and perennials, you’ll create a welcoming, multi-season habitat. Birds will find everything they need—food, nesting sites, and safe places to hide—right in your own backyard.

Whether you have a large property or a small garden, every native plant you add helps support local wildlife. With just a few thoughtful plantings, your yard can become a haven for songbirds and a joyful place to listen to their music all year long.

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Visit Bedner’s to Create Your Bird-Friendly Garden

At Bedner’s, we love helping our customers design gardens that nurture both people and wildlife. Our team can guide you in selecting native trees, shrubs, and perennials that support pollinators and songbirds year-round.

Stop by our nursery to explore our selection of bird-friendly native plants, or chat with one of our garden experts about creating a personalized planting plan. Together, we can help you grow a landscape that sings with life.

🪶 Visit us in the garden center or explore our plants online at https://shop.bednersgreenhouse.com/inventory/. For help designing and planting a bird-friendly landscape, reach out to our Landscape Team at https://www.bednersgreenhouse.com/landscaping-design/.

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