Bird Alert: Tips for Attracting Birds to Your Backyard

Did you know Colorado is a year-round hotspot for birds? Watching avian visitors perch near your patio and feed from your garden is one of life’s (and homeownership’s!) underrated pleasures. Birds’ dynamic chirps and songs are a true delight for those who stop to listen, and their eye-catching feather patterns may have you reaching for your Colorado birds field guide.

Here are some tips to attract birds to your backyard, from mainstays like the black-capped chickadee to seasonal migrators like the fluttering hummingbird:

Start with bird seed

Want to glimpse a yellow-shafted northern flicker or red-headed woodpecker while you sip your morning coffee? Try a suet feeder. These wire-enclosed blocks will draw other insect-eating fliers as well. A stocked bird feeder brimming with high-quality seed will undoubtedly ensure daily entertainment for you, not to mention provide welcome supplementation for the birds’ diets. Select a blend that contains favorites such as black oil sunflower seed and safflower.

Offer a drink

Summer and winter alike, winged visitors to your yard need water. Keep them hydrated with a birdbath. Such a vessel pulls double duty: not only will birds drink from it but they will use it to bathe as well. Top off the bath daily and ensure it remains a clean spot.

Lure with nature

Native plants are beautiful in your garden and provide a feast for birds. Best of all, many of these plants are perennials, so they’ll grow year after year. From summer’s sweet nectar to fall’s fruits and winter’s berries, plants you choose for your garden can go a long way in inviting birds to your backyard. Some even provide a safe place to rest or to build a nest for spring’s mating season. Varieties like the red trumpet vine are irresistible to the hummingbird, who feasts not only on its nectar but also the insects the flowers attract to the garden. Want to woo warblers? Gamble oak provides shelter and sustenance for these flighty friends and others.

Some plants native to Colorado that are sure to draw in winged visitors include the following:

• Red cardinal flower
• Beebalm
• Salvia
• Lupine
• Columbine (Colorado state flower)
• Fireweed
• Larkspur
• And many more!

Provide a birdhouse or nesting box

Nesting boxes and birdhouses are welcome havens for a variety of birds, giving them a protected space to keep warm and to lay their eggs and tend to their growing babies. Decorative houses are available at hardware stores, or you can make your own birdhouse using an old Colorado license plate!

Birds are a delightful enhancement to any backyard. Which species would bring you and your family the most joy?

Meridian Ranch is an active, tight-knit community located in beautiful Falcon, Colorado. Year-round, residents delight in a revolving lineup of birds in gardens and open spaces throughout the neighborhood. Visit us today and see why life in Meridian Ranch is better than anywhere you’ve lived before.