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How to Attract Birds to Your Garden: Foods They Like, Plants They Love, Shelter They Need

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Help your local wild birds by providing them with a safe garden environment

Make a difference to your local birdlife. Help reverse the decline in bird numbers by creating a haven in which they will thrive. It's a win-win. Provide the best shelter, feeding, and nesting opportunities for them and then you can reap the rewards as they sing and entertain.

No need to be an expert gardener already, or to break the bank - many of the most beneficial features can be installed easily and cheaply, and many you can build yourself or upcycle to be eco-friendly.

192 pages, Hardcover

First published October 15, 2020

22 people are currently reading
174 people want to read

About the author

Dan Rouse

7 books1 follower

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5 stars
41 (29%)
4 stars
66 (47%)
3 stars
26 (18%)
2 stars
6 (4%)
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0 (0%)
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
Profile Image for Marco.
638 reviews30 followers
March 16, 2024
Maak van je tuin een waar vogelparadijs. Met eenvoudige tips over planten, voederplekken, nestelgelegenheid. Je hoeft geen groene vingers te hebben om op grond van dit boekje aan de slag te gaan. Als je meer vogeltjes in de tuin wilt krijgen, is dit boek een echte aanrader.
Profile Image for Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance.
6,468 reviews336 followers
January 11, 2021
How to Attract Birds to Your Garden goes over all the important information about birds, focusing on the four most important needs of birds: food, water, nesting sites, and plants for shelter. It offers specific information on the best plants to grow in your garden for birds. The book contains great detail on the types of foods birds seek. There is information on how to make your own feeders and birdhouses. The back of the book gives an overview of key facts about most of the common backyard birds.
Profile Image for Wendy.
61 reviews
September 7, 2025
While very visually appealing and well laid out, I was disappointed to see plant recommendations that included invasive species and non-natives. The authors could have easily replaced some of their food course recommendations with plants that are better for birds, pollinators, and biodiversity.
Profile Image for Kristen.
310 reviews
January 23, 2021
My favorite of the rash of new bird books my library just got. Feels friendly, accessible, and inspiring, and has good info. It really is about attracting birds to your yard and appreciating them — so if you want a deep dive into species or behavior, this isn’t the book for you.
Profile Image for Tammy.
378 reviews6 followers
February 24, 2023
A great book, full of fab ideas if you are looking to turn your garden into a wildlife area, and encourage birds and insects to visit.
Profile Image for Collette Mcdonough.
184 reviews1 follower
August 27, 2023
This is a good book for getting you started on making your yard more bird friendly. I would suggest also doing research on what plants would be best suited for your area. I can't wait to make a few extra bird houses with the directions included.
Profile Image for Nathan.
31 reviews
May 26, 2023
Very colorful and informative primer to attracting birds to your garden.
Profile Image for Marcus.
95 reviews1 follower
November 12, 2024
Attractively illustrated & compiled introductory topics with concise, easily-accessible text on plants, habitats, ponds & a bird ID guide.
Profile Image for Woomo.
20 reviews2 followers
June 6, 2023
I really enjoyed how this book actually stayed on topic, unlike a lot of these type of books. It did go into some detail about bird behavior and nesting locations, but it actually relates to attracting birds to your garden.

There's some cute diys on making your own suet, bird feeders, ponds, etc. It also goes over plants to grow in your garden to attract specific types of birds.

It is a pretty small book, so don't expect a plethora of information. But it is a fantastic way to start your journey on this subject.
Profile Image for Donna Schwartz.
732 reviews
December 18, 2021
Since the start of the pandemic, I have spent a lot of time observing the wildlife in our backyard. A lot of different birds have shown up and when I saw this book, I couldn't resist.
It tells how to attract different types of birds by what types of plants you have for shelter and what types of seeds they eat. I liked the section on bird houses as certain birds are attracted to specific kinds of bird houses.

A couple suggestions for the author: they do not talk about mosquitoes that could be attracted by bird baths. They suggest different types of ponds, but they all seemed like quite a bit of work to keep them from growing algae or getting slimy. They suggested some really big ponds that very few people would want in their yards. No mention is made of safety issues with young children.
Some of the print was difficult to read unless it was just in the right light; the best light being bright sunlight.

I loved the section where the author showed pictures of different types of birds and told what they looked like with pictures and description. It also talked about which birds were migratory and what foods they preferred.

All in all an interesting book.
2,934 reviews261 followers
March 14, 2021
I received a copy of this book through the Amazon Vine program in exchange for an honest review.

This is a fun book!

It's colorful and beautiful and very informative. It's a great introductory guide that highlights the important things to provide for birds. There's information on identifying birds, the lifecycle of birds, how to provide them with the essentials like food and shelter and seeds, as well as information about bird houses. There's even some fun feeder-inspired crafts!

The book touches on some common birds seen across the US. It's a great guide for making a good environment for birds!
Profile Image for Ron.
4 reviews3 followers
March 8, 2021
Even though I'd already known quite a lot about the subject, I still learnt something new! I absolutely loved all the DIY projects for making bird feeders, among others. All the drawings and pictures also contributed to such a pretty and engaging layout. I'd definitely recommend it to anybody who wants to attract wildlife to their gardens - not only birds, because the book also covers making your green space suitable for other animals, such as insects and amphibians.
Profile Image for Helen Pickett .
126 reviews4 followers
April 27, 2021
All rounder book for your garden on how to optimise birds visiting as well as other wildlife. Covering nesting, feeding, planting and water as well as bird profiles.
A book that you can refer back to time and again. Hand drawn pictures as well as photos.
Profile Image for Lynda.
1,498 reviews16 followers
September 1, 2022
We LOVED this wonderful book. So much information. We learned a lot about birds and in such an enjoyable way. The author presented details naturally and so freshly - my daughter didn’t feel like this was a “school” book just a fun way to learn about our feathery neighbors.
Profile Image for Mary Rank.
420 reviews
January 13, 2021
This book was for beginners. It spoke very generally and broadly. The best part was the study of 52 birds in the last section.
321 reviews
April 15, 2021
Good book for those just starting to feed the birds. Nice illustrations
Profile Image for H.
1,015 reviews
April 19, 2021
If you want to see birds in your garden, this book will help. It includes many different ways to attract many different types of birds. Worthy addition to a library.
Profile Image for Jessica Camacho.
131 reviews2 followers
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June 21, 2021
I mostly skimmed the book, I concentrated on/read closely what I needed or wanted as a gardener - to know or confirm. Wonderful pictures, good ideas, excellent information.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews

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