Watching colorful birds visit your yard is one of Michigan’s simple pleasures. Birds bring joy with their songs and help control pesky insects naturally.
Creating a bird-friendly space doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive – just a few thoughtful changes can transform your ordinary backyard into a bustling bird sanctuary.
1. Set Up A Variety Of Bird Feeders
Different birds prefer different dining styles. Tube feeders attract finches and chickadees, while platform feeders welcome larger birds like cardinals and blue jays. Suet cages bring in woodpeckers, especially during cold Michigan winters.
Place feeders at various heights and locations. Some birds feel safer feeding up high, while others prefer staying close to protective shrubs. Remember to clean feeders regularly to prevent mold and disease spread.
2. Offer a Diverse Menu
Birds have different food preferences, just like people! Black oil sunflower seeds attract the widest variety of Michigan birds and provide excellent nutrition. Nyjer seeds are irresistible to goldfinches, while safflower seeds appeal to cardinals but deter pesky squirrels.
Don’t forget to include mealworms for bluebirds and orioles, and suet cakes for woodpeckers. Mixing up your offerings throughout the seasons ensures you’ll welcome the greatest diversity of feathered visitors.
3. Keep Water Flowing Year-Round
Water attracts more birds than food, especially during Michigan’s freezing winters. A heated birdbath becomes a rare oasis when natural water sources freeze over. Birds need water not just for drinking but also for bathing to maintain healthy feathers.
Place your water source near shrubs so birds feel protected while drinking. Adding a small fountain or dripper creates moving water, which birds find particularly attractive. The sound of trickling water acts like a natural bird magnet!
4. Plant Native Michigan Berry Bushes
Berry-producing shrubs serve as natural bird feeders while beautifying your yard. Serviceberry, elderberry, and dogwood shrubs provide nutritious berries that Michigan birds love. Native plants also support the local caterpillars and insects that parent birds need to feed their young.
For year-round interest, mix plants with different fruiting seasons. American cranberry viburnum offers winter berries when food is scarce, while Michigan blueberries produce summer treats. Birds will quickly discover these food sources and return regularly.
5. Create Brush Piles For Shelter
Many Michigan birds seek protection from predators and harsh weather. A simple brush pile made from fallen branches, twigs and leaves creates perfect hiding spots. Dark-eyed juncos, sparrows, and wrens particularly appreciate these natural shelters.
Position your brush pile near feeding areas but away from your house to reduce pest concerns. Layer larger branches on the bottom with smaller twigs on top. Leave small openings for birds to enter and exit quickly when they sense danger.
6. Hang Nesting Boxes For Families
Cavity-nesting birds like chickadees, bluebirds, and house wrens eagerly accept properly designed birdhouses. Michigan loses natural nesting cavities each year as old trees are removed, making your nesting boxes crucial habitat.
Mount boxes on poles with predator guards rather than trees to protect eggs and nestlings. Face openings away from prevailing winds, typically eastward in Michigan. Different birds need different sized entrance holes – research which local species you want to attract.
7. Let Some Lawn Go Wild
Perfect lawns are bird deserts! Designate a section of your yard to grow taller, allowing native plants to flourish. This creates hunting grounds for insect-eating birds like flycatchers and warblers that rarely visit feeders. Even a small 10×10 foot patch makes a difference.
Michigan goldfinches love to collect seeds from coneflowers, black-eyed Susans, and native grasses. Leaving seed heads intact through fall and winter provides natural food sources when birds need them most.
8. Add Perching Spots Throughout
Birds appreciate resting places where they can survey their surroundings safely. Incorporate various perching options at different heights – shepherd’s hooks, trellises, and small trees create perfect landing spots.
Hummingbirds particularly benefit from thin branches where they can rest between feeding sessions. Many birds also use prominent perches for singing and establishing territory. A clothesline or garden arch serves as both garden decor and valuable bird infrastructure.
9. Eliminate Chemical Pesticides
Chemical pesticides kill the insects birds need to feed their young. Nearly all Michigan songbirds, even seed-eaters, rely on insects to provide protein for growing nestlings. One chickadee pair needs thousands of caterpillars to raise a single brood!
Switch to natural pest control methods like companion planting and manual removal. Birds themselves are excellent pest controllers – a chickadee family can consume up to 9,000 insects in one nesting season. Your yard becomes healthier for everyone when you let nature maintain balance.
10. Provide Nesting Materials
Help birds build cozy nests by offering suitable materials. Fill mesh bags or suet cages with natural fibers like pet fur, wool yarn scraps (cut into 4-6 inch pieces), and small strips of cotton. Michigan birds like orioles and robins eagerly collect these supplies in spring.
Avoid synthetic materials, dryer lint, and human hair which can entangle nestlings. Place material holders near trees but away from feeders to reduce traffic. Many birds will return year after year once they discover your reliable building supply store!
11. Keep Cats Indoors
Outdoor cats kill billions of birds annually in the United States alone. Even well-fed cats hunt instinctively, making them the single greatest human-caused threat to birds. A truly bird-friendly yard must be a cat-free zone.
If you have cats, consider building them a secure outdoor ‘catio’ where they can enjoy fresh air safely. Talk with neighbors about the impact of outdoor cats on wildlife. Michigan’s native birds haven’t evolved defenses against these introduced predators and remain extremely vulnerable.