How to Attract Native Birds to Your Garden

Do you love hearing birds singing in the morning? Would you like to see more tūī, fantails, and kererū visiting your garden? Native birds bring any garden to life, making it feel alive and peaceful. They also help the environment by spreading seeds, pollinating flowers, and consuming pests. The best part? You don’t need a big backyard or fancy tools. With the right plants, water, and shelter, you can turn your garden into a safe home for New Zealand’s beautiful birds.

Let’s discuss some easy tips to help you create a garden that birds will love, and you will too.

5 Easy Ways to Invite Native Birds to Your Garden

Native birds, such as tūī, fantails, and kererū, bring life, colour, and song to any garden. They also help the environment by spreading seeds and consuming pests. Making your garden bird-friendly doesn’t require much effort. With a few simple steps, you can create a safe space where birds love to visit.

1. Plant Native Trees and Shrubs

Planting native trees and shrubs is one of the best ways to attract birds to your garden. Trees like kōwhai, flax (harakeke), and pōhutukawa give birds food such as nectar, berries, and seeds at different times of the year. It means your garden will always have something for them to eat. These plants also give birds safe places to perch, hide from predators, and build their nests. Birds feel more comfortable in gardens that feature a mix of tall trees, medium-sized bushes, and ground-level plants. The variety makes them feel like they are in their natural forest home. Even planting just one or two native trees can make a big difference and encourage tūī or kererū to visit.

2. Offer Fruit and Sugar Water

In winter and early spring, there aren’t many flowers or insects around, so food is harder for birds to find. You can help by placing cut-up fruit, such as apples, oranges, and pears, on a flat surface or a hanging tray. Nectar-loving birds, such as tūī and silvereyes, also enjoy sugar water. To make sugar water, mix one part sugar with four parts water and hang it in a bird feeder. Place the feeder high off the ground where cats and other animals can’t reach it. Always clean the feeder regularly to keep the birds healthy and stop the spread of diseases.

4. Leave Leaves and Twigs on the Ground

It’s tempting to keep your garden neat, but a little mess can be a good thing for birds. Fallen leaves, twigs, and branches are homes for insects like beetles and worms. These bugs are a food source for insect-eating birds, such as fantails. Leaving a corner of your garden “wild” gives birds a natural space to explore and feed. It also helps improve your soil and attracts more wildlife over time. The slight change makes your garden feel like part of the forest.

3. ‍Add a Bird Bath or Shallow Bowl

Birds need water not just for drinking but also for bathing and keeping their feathers clean. A simple, shallow dish or a proper bird bath can provide them with what they need. Make sure the water isn’t too deep. About 5 cm is enough for small birds. Place the bath in a spot where birds can see around them. They need to watch for predators and fly away quickly if they feel threatened. 

5. Grow a Variety of Plants

Different birds like different types of food. Some, like tūī, prefer nectar. Others, like kererū, enjoy berries, while fantails and silvereyes eat insects. Planting a variety of flowers, fruit trees, and shrubs means your garden will have food for all kinds of birds all year round. When selecting plants, look for those that bloom or produce fruit in different seasons. It keeps your garden vibrant and full of life, regardless of the time of year. A mix of colours and heights also makes your garden more attractive to both birds and people.

Create a Garden Birds Will Love

The songs of tūī, the flutter of fantails, and the gentle presence of kererū can bring peace and joy to your outdoor space. With a few minor adjustments, such as planting native trees, adding water features, and maintaining a safe environment, you can invite these beautiful creatures to visit and stay.

If you’re not sure where to start or want to take your garden design to the next level, we’re here to help. At Zones Landscaping NZ, we can plan and build a garden that’s perfect for both your family and the local wildlife. Let’s work together to make your garden a place where native birds thrive and your family can enjoy nature every day.

Get in touch with Zones NZ today.