[vc_row row_height_percent=”65″ back_image=”5129″ overlay_alpha=”50″ gutter_size=”3″ column_width_percent=”100″ shift_y=”0″ z_index=”0″ uncode_shortcode_id=”179099″][vc_column column_width_percent=”100″ position_vertical=”middle” align_horizontal=”align_center” gutter_size=”3″ overlay_color=”color-584830″ overlay_alpha=”80″ shift_x=”0″ shift_y=”0″ shift_y_down=”0″ z_index=”0″ medium_width=”0″ mobile_width=”0″ width=”1/1″][vc_custom_heading text_color=”color-xsdn” text_size=”fontsize-321034″ uncode_shortcode_id=”365324″ text_color_type=”uncode-palette”]How to attract native birds to your garden[/vc_custom_heading][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][vc_custom_heading heading_semantic=”h4″ text_size=”h4″ uncode_shortcode_id=”203512″]Author: Toni Ashton

Date: July 2023

Photo credit: Andrea Tritton[/vc_custom_heading][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text uncode_shortcode_id=”139987″]Its been wet, windy and chilly on Tiritiri Matangi lately and so the nectar-feeding birds – i.e. tūī, hihi/ stitchbirds and korimako/ bellbirds – have been busy at the feeding stations, providing great entertainment for visitors.

Providing food is just one way of attracting native birds to your garden. You can also plant native trees and shrubs. And providing patches of leaf litter or mulch will help to attract insect-eating birds such as the pīwakawaka/ fantail and tauhou/ silvereye.

In summer, a shallow bird bath provides water for drinking as well as a nice cool bath for the birds. And of course the birds need to feel safe and so trapping predators such as rats and mice, and keeping cats away from your garden will also help to attract the birds.

The websites of the Department of Conservation and Forest and Bird provide excellent information about which birds eat what, which trees and shrubs to plant, how to keep the birds safe and many other useful tips.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row row_height_percent=”0″ overlay_alpha=”50″ equal_height=”yes” gutter_size=”3″ column_width_percent=”100″ shift_y=”0″ z_index=”0″][vc_column column_width_percent=”100″ position_vertical=”middle” align_horizontal=”align_center” gutter_size=”2″ override_padding=”yes” column_padding=”0″ back_image=”5142″ back_position=”center top” overlay_color=”color-jevc” overlay_alpha=”20″ shift_x=”0″ shift_y=”0″ shift_y_down=”0″ z_index=”0″ medium_width=”0″ mobile_width=”0″ shadow=”xs” width=”1/3″ uncode_shortcode_id=”199597″ overlay_color_type=”uncode-palette”][vc_row_inner limit_content=””][vc_column_inner column_width_percent=”100″ align_horizontal=”align_center” gutter_size=”2″ override_padding=”yes” column_padding=”2″ overlay_alpha=”50″ shift_x=”0″ shift_y=”0″ shift_y_down=”0″ z_index=”0″ medium_width=”0″ mobile_width=”0″ width=”1/1″][vc_custom_heading text_color=”color-xsdn” text_size=”h1″ uncode_shortcode_id=”199150″ text_color_type=”uncode-palette”]Attract birds to your garden[/vc_custom_heading][vc_empty_space empty_h=”2″][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner row_inner_height_percent=”0″ overlay_alpha=”50″ equal_height=”yes” gutter_size=”3″ shift_y=”0″ z_index=”0″ limit_content=””][vc_column_inner column_width_percent=”100″ position_vertical=”bottom” gutter_size=”3″ override_padding=”yes” column_padding=”2″ overlay_alpha=”50″ shift_x=”0″ shift_y=”0″ shift_y_down=”0″ z_index=”0″ medium_width=”0″ mobile_width=”0″ width=”1/1″][vc_button button_color=”accent” wide=”yes” border_width=”0″ link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.doc.govt.nz%2Fget-involved%2Fconservation-activities%2Fattract-birds-to-your-garden%2F|target:_blank” button_color_type=”uncode-palette” uncode_shortcode_id=”392314″]Visit [/vc_button][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][vc_column column_width_percent=”100″ position_vertical=”middle” align_horizontal=”align_center” gutter_size=”2″ override_padding=”yes” column_padding=”0″ back_image=”5144″ back_position=”center top” overlay_color=”color-jevc” overlay_alpha=”20″ shift_x=”0″ shift_y=”0″ shift_y_down=”0″ z_index=”0″ medium_width=”0″ mobile_width=”0″ shadow=”xs” width=”1/3″ uncode_shortcode_id=”455129″ overlay_color_type=”uncode-palette”][vc_row_inner limit_content=””][vc_column_inner column_width_percent=”100″ align_horizontal=”align_center” gutter_size=”2″ override_padding=”yes” column_padding=”2″ overlay_alpha=”50″ shift_x=”0″ shift_y=”0″ shift_y_down=”0″ z_index=”0″ medium_width=”0″ mobile_width=”0″ width=”1/1″][vc_custom_heading text_color=”color-xsdn” text_size=”h1″ uncode_shortcode_id=”865945″ text_color_type=”uncode-palette”]How to feed native birds in your garden[/vc_custom_heading][vc_empty_space empty_h=”2″][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner limit_content=””][vc_column_inner column_width_percent=”100″ position_vertical=”bottom” gutter_size=”3″ override_padding=”yes” column_padding=”2″ overlay_alpha=”50″ shift_x=”0″ shift_y=”0″ shift_y_down=”0″ z_index=”0″ medium_width=”0″ mobile_width=”0″ width=”1/1″ uncode_shortcode_id=”429701″][vc_empty_space empty_h=”0″][vc_button button_color=”accent” wide=”yes” border_width=”0″ link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.forestandbird.org.nz%2Fresources%2Ffeeding-native-birds-garden|target:_blank” button_color_type=”uncode-palette” uncode_shortcode_id=”212325″]Visit[/vc_button][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][vc_column column_width_percent=”100″ position_vertical=”middle” gutter_size=”2″ override_padding=”yes” column_padding=”0″ back_image=”5146″ back_position=”left top” overlay_color=”color-jevc” overlay_alpha=”20″ shift_x=”0″ shift_y=”0″ shift_y_down=”0″ z_index=”0″ medium_width=”0″ mobile_width=”0″ shadow=”xs” width=”1/3″ uncode_shortcode_id=”153754″ overlay_color_type=”uncode-palette”][vc_row_inner limit_content=””][vc_column_inner column_width_percent=”100″ align_horizontal=”align_center” gutter_size=”2″ override_padding=”yes” column_padding=”2″ overlay_alpha=”50″ shift_x=”0″ shift_y=”0″ shift_y_down=”0″ z_index=”0″ medium_width=”0″ mobile_width=”0″ width=”1/1″][vc_custom_heading text_color=”color-xsdn” text_size=”h1″ uncode_shortcode_id=”857015″ text_color_type=”uncode-palette”]

[/vc_custom_heading][vc_empty_space empty_h=”2″][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner limit_content=””][vc_column_inner column_width_percent=”100″ position_vertical=”bottom” gutter_size=”3″ override_padding=”yes” column_padding=”2″ overlay_alpha=”50″ shift_x=”0″ shift_y=”0″ shift_y_down=”0″ z_index=”0″ medium_width=”0″ mobile_width=”0″ width=”1/1″][vc_button button_color=”accent” wide=”yes” border_width=”0″ link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fpredatorfreenz.org%2Fget-involved%2Ffind-a-group%2F|target:_blank” button_color_type=”uncode-palette” uncode_shortcode_id=”145670″]Visit[/vc_button][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row row_height_percent=”0″ overlay_alpha=”50″ gutter_size=”3″ column_width_percent=”100″ shift_y=”0″ z_index=”0″ uncode_shortcode_id=”155460″][vc_column column_width_percent=”100″ gutter_size=”3″ override_padding=”yes” column_padding=”2″ overlay_alpha=”50″ shift_x=”0″ shift_y=”0″ shift_y_down=”0″ z_index=”0″ medium_width=”0″ mobile_width=”0″ shadow=”xs” width=”1/1″ uncode_shortcode_id=”181790″][vc_row_inner row_inner_height_percent=”0″ overlay_alpha=”50″ equal_height=”yes” gutter_size=”3″ shift_y=”0″ z_index=”0″ uncode_shortcode_id=”169089″][vc_column_inner column_width_percent=”100″ position_vertical=”middle” align_horizontal=”align_center” gutter_size=”3″ overlay_alpha=”50″ shift_x=”0″ shift_y=”0″ shift_y_down=”0″ z_index=”0″ medium_width=”0″ mobile_width=”0″ width=”1/2″ uncode_shortcode_id=”382822″][vc_single_image media=”5133″ media_width_percent=”100″ media_ratio=”three-four” alignment=”right” advanced=”yes” media_overlay_opacity=”50″ media_padding=”2″ uncode_shortcode_id=”207772″][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner column_width_percent=”100″ position_vertical=”middle” align_horizontal=”align_center” gutter_size=”3″ overlay_alpha=”50″ shift_x=”0″ shift_y=”0″ shift_y_down=”0″ z_index=”0″ medium_width=”0″ mobile_width=”0″ width=”1/2″ uncode_shortcode_id=”194832″][vc_single_image media=”5135″ media_width_percent=”100″ media_ratio=”three-four” uncode_shortcode_id=”686405″][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_custom_heading text_color=”color-849512″ text_size=”h6″ uncode_shortcode_id=”115433″ text_color_type=”uncode-palette”]Photo credits: Sean Smith, Georgina Scouller, Martin Sanders and Jacob Garvelink[/vc_custom_heading][/vc_column][/vc_row]