Bird-by-Bird Gardening: The Ultimate Guide to Bringing in Your Favorite Birds-Year after Year

by Sally Roth

Bird lovers learn what specific bird families like best and how to entice their favorites to the backyard in this newest guide from the author of The Backyard Bird Feeder's Bible. What should a birder do if he likes bluebirds and wrens but is not all that interested in woodpeckers and starlings? Bird-by-Bird Gardening takes the chance and happenstance out of backyard birding. Readers learn what design features and edible treats will tempt particular bird families so their birdbaths and feeders will be overflowing with visitors of their choice.
Bird-by-Bird Gardening
Shows readers how to lure their preferred species with bird-friendly features such as water, shrub cover, nesting plants, and feeders Includes 19 garden designs for attracting specific bird families Provides water projects and feeder recipes for each bird family With this book to guide them, bird lovers will soon have their favorite birds lingering longer in the backyard―and revisiting year after year.

Genres: Birds, Gardening, Nonfiction, Nature, Animals

400 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Sally Roth is an award-winning author of 20 or so popular books about birds, nature, and gardening, including the best-selling "Backyard Bird Feeder's Bible," and a contributing editor for "Birds & Blooms" magazine.

Her latest book is "An Eye on the Sparrow: The Bird Lover's Bible," which uses quotes from the Bible as a jumping-off point for examining the natural behavior of the birds behind those Scriptures. It's a bird book, and it's for everyone, religious or not.

Sally's also an enthusiastic public speaker, whether it's grabbing a stranger on the street ("Hey, want to see something cool?") or talking to an audience of hundreds ("Hey, want to see something cool?"). She'll be appearing in the Michiana area (northern Indiana/Michigan) in early spring of 2013, as well as other places.

She and her husband Matt Bartmann share their home in the high Rockies with two dogs, one cat, a family of pine squirrels, a hard-working packrat named Sisyphus, a spotted skunk who lives beneath the house, a well-fed bunch of birds at the feeder, and a stable of old Volvos.

Come visit us at www.sallyroth.com. We'd love to see you!

Reviews

[David R. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Roth does an exceptional job of demonstrating the means to attracting many kinds of songbirds to any property. She also does a fine job talking about the habits of those birds for better understanding. The weakness is that her suggested garden designs require a great deal of free space in a property. I find myself unable to implement a one of them in my crowded cul de sac home.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

excellent tips for attracting different species.

[Jeanette MacNeille]

Spectacular. I got this from the library, but it's well worth buying to keep on one's shelf.

[Stephanie Reisch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful when you have a start but need more information. Sally Roth loves birds and it shows, thank you so much for putting this into a book for all. I want to learn my favorite birds in every direction.

Author pinned cherries to a tree branch in the dead of winter to attract cedar wax wings. I’m reading this book to attract waxwings. And buntings, and grosbeaks, and finches, and sparrows and bluebirds. And everything else :) I completely identify with expensive and inexpensive hacks :)

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was full of helpful information about the plants/shrubs/flowers that attract different birds. It's making me itch to start planting, but I can't decide what to do first. For the longest time I have been dying to see Cedar Waxwings, so I might have to plant some berry shrubs just for them!

I loved her way of adding in little stories from her childhood. She has an endearing personality that shines through in her writing. This book was a pleasure to read from start to finish.

[Debra Winslow · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book. It is so easy to use. I like the colorful drawings. I am currently using the author's suggestions to attract my favorite birds to my yard. I saved the pictures of the specific plants on my Pinterest page and they look very pretty together. It is so easy to set up a bird garden with the author's authoritative advice. This is a favorite book that I like to look at a lot.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you're interested in attracting birds to your yard and you like gardening, this is a good book. They've divided birds into different families and list what you can plant for food, shelter & nesting for each family. They also list different foods for putting in your bird feeder and what kind of water you should provide-still, spray or drip.

[Ami Morrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book! So much info on your favorite bird families and how to fix your yard to attract them. Filled with lots of plant info with drawings mapping out possible yard layouts. A must have if you are looking to do more with your yard and attract some great birds!

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is pretty good, but there are better ones out there, including some of Roth's other works on birds.

[Steve H · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good, practical ideas on what to plant to attract different types of birds.