My neighbours were complaining the other week about the Cockatoos that visit my garden. They said the cockies bite their tree and gutter so now my mum said i'm not allowed to put seeds out for them until we move houses again. Since i can't put seeds out anymore, there are no more birds in my garden. Does anyone have any suggestions on how i can get back the birds without the cockies coming?thanks.
Good question, Willskrills.
The general principle of attracting birds to your garden is to plant species which are indigenous to your area. And if you live in an urban area a lot will depend on how many of your neighbours have the native vegetation to which the local bird life is adapted. This is because the larger the area of native vegetation the greater the range of native birds you're likely to attract.
You'll need a good dose of patience as you watch your plants grow. In the meantime you could try some natives in pots such as Grevilleas, Banksias & Eremophilas. And install a bird bath or, at least, a bowl kept up to date with fresh water.
What sort of property do you have? Your garden size will determine to a fair extent what sorts of plants you can plant - trees, shrubs, understorey including native grasses. Are there any power lines or other utilities which might determine which types of plants you might plant?
Are you living near a patch of good quality bushland? If so this will give you an idea of the plant species which will be suited best to your garden & which will attract the local native birds.
Humanely eradicate all cats from your garden. You may need to trade non cockatoos for non cats in your neighbourhood by the sound of it.
Other posters may have additional ideas.
Yes that's very good advice from Woko, Willskrills. Plenty of bird-attracting native plants and a clean birdbath is all you need. When I lived in the ACT I used to feed crimson rosellas and king parrots with seed but once the cockies found out about it they kept coming in greater numbers. And they can be a pest. In the longer run you are much better off attracting birds with natural habitat. And a greater variety of birds, especially honeyeaters, wrens, silvereyes, etc. If you look around you can buy native tubestock cheaply and it may be less costly than buying seed (which also attracts feral birds like pigeons and sparrows, not forgetting rats and mice).
Thanks for the advice guys, my garden is just a small urban garden with 1 paw-paw tree and a couple of exotic shrubs. The thing is, i can't plant any plants like those you mentioned because we are renting our house
. I asked my mum if i could get some in pots but she just says " yeah, maybe" and forgets about it. The good news is we are buying another property in a couple of months where we can plant our own plants.
William.S
forgot to say, i also have a birdbath which i've seen a magpie use recently.
William.S
This is my backyard.
William.S
Hi Willskrills, there are areas where I live , where councils won't tolerate the feeding of Cockatoos. Up in the Dandenong lage flocks of Cockatoos have destroyed timber decks and windows in days.
If I can make a suggestion, I would plant native shrubs like Gevilleas in some larger pots. Some natives grow well in pots.
After a few plants in my garden died last year, I did just that. A few days later, the very few flowers started to attrackt small birds like Eastern Spinebills, and various Honeyeaters.You can position the birdbath between the pots.I now have a few potted natives close to my windows to enjoy watching birds feeding on the nectar.
The advantage is , you can take the large pots with you when you move house.
Good luck
M-L
Even a backyard like that can be transformed, with trellis, hanging pots, tiered plantings and sequestering of the (probably useless) lawn area for garden. But if you are moving soon you won't want to invest in anything permanent. So Araminta's suggestion of natives in larger pots is a great idea.
Here is one of the plants , you can see the pot. It's not higher than 50cm , but birds feed on it all day.
M-L
thanks alot guys again. I'll really try to bug my parents to get the natives. My dad said it'll take a couple of years for the plants to grow fully and flower. He said you can't buy fully grown natives. Is that true? Just another thing i want to know. Is evening a good time for birdwatching?
William.S
You can tell your dad, it doesn't take that long for them to flower. The one in the photo was very small when I planted it in the pot, it was about 50cm and had already flowers, and as I said, the birds took to it the next day. Later today I will take some photos of the other pots to show you.
M-L
Thanks. I'd love to see what kind of garden you guys have out there.
William.S
Finally i went and bought a Grevillia and a Banksia in pots and put them next to my bird bath. any tips on how many times to water them or anything else?
William.S
Great, natives don't need a lot of water, but it also depends on the position. If you put them close to the wall in your photo, (I wouldn't) they might get too much sun and heat and dry out. You'll know what to do. Because it rains a fair bit down here in Melbourne, I don't water mine, only in summer when it gets too hot.
I took a photo of the one the birds love, you can see how tiny it is. (It's the yellow one the spinebill I posted under Best Photos this morning)
M-L
Hi Willskrills
It depends on the species but most native plants don't need lots of water. In fact, overwatering will cause many species to die as their roots become waterlogged & starved of oxygen. As Araminta says, you should only water in summer to prevent them from drying out.
Among the most durable species are Eremophilas which means desert loving so these are especially good if you're averse to watering. Eremophilas have the added advantage that if the pot does become rather dry they'll flower very soon after you water them. This is because desert rains are unpredictable so the plants in their natural state like to take advantage of any rain/water that comes their way by flowering & producing fruits & seeds. This ensures the survival of Eremophilas in harsh conditions.
If you can get potted natives that are indigenous to your area they'll have the best chance of surviving because they're adapted to your conditions.
Lots of Australian native plants flower very quickly, especially Grevilleas, so you don't need to worry about their size.
When you move to your new house post a photo of your garden, if you are of a mind & your parents are OK about it, so that we can get an idea of what can be done. If your parents buy a house near a patch of bushland you'll have an excellent guide as to which plant species are best suited to the new garden.
Late afternoon is a good time to watch birds, especially if you have a bird bath. Best of all is early morning.
thanks, i'll post a pic when we move houses. Araminta, you said you wouldn't put them near the wall, where else should i put them because everywhere else is just grass. Or should i move the birdbath with both natives onto the lawn?
William.S
I just think that if you get a lot of sunshine, the reflection of a wall can make it even hotter. That's the good thing about pots, you can move them around a bit. I have my pots close to the house as you can see, so I can watch the birds come and go. In a few weeks I will move from the house into the shed just down the drive. There aren't many plants yet, so I will take all my pots with me and plant a few more natives around them.
M-L
With my new plants, i still haven't seen anything use them and i've had them for about 5 days. I have them both on the lawn with the bird bath next to them and check if birds have been on them but have not been succesful. Any thoughts?
William.S
I have also bought a Shady Lady Crimson and am waiting for it to flower to add to the other area.
William.S
Be patient.
Dale Huonville, Tasmania
A couple of questions, Willskrills. When do you watch your plants? Do you have neighbours with native plants & native birds. If not, be patient (as Dale says) as it'll take birds a while to discover your flowering plants. If so, then birds may already have visited when you weren't watching.
I look when i come home from school, before i go to school and when i'm in the garden doing something. My neighbours do have some native plants and i see some birds on them sometimes.
William.S
There you go, they will come
M-L
Indeed they will.
Thanks guys.
William.S
Hi Willskrills,
It is great you are keen to attract birds to your yard. Many natives will grow happily in pots and produce sufficient flowers to attract birds. Grouping several pots together does a few things, if they are grouped near the bird bath they provide shade to the water to keep it cool, and they provide cover for little birds when they come to drink. Several plants together will provide a cooler spot where birds can get some shade and relief from the heat of the day and if they are chosen well will provide flowers at different times to one another. Meaning that honeyeaters can find food there for more months of the year.
By having the plants in pots you can take them with you when you move and it also means that after a month or two you are still not attracting birds to your birdbath that you can move them all to a different place in the garden.
When thinking about where to situate the plants and bird bath it can help if you find out what kinds of birds live in your area and what kind of habitat they need to survive, ie small insectivore birds need somewhere to hunt insects as well as a place to get a drink, (flower bearing trees do attract insects for the insectivores), small seed eaters like finches need grass seeds as well as water, a pot where native grass can grow to seed bearing could be added if you know finches are in your area.
I hope you continue in your efforts to provide habitat and in your interest in birds. There is much reward in both gardening and birding.
Happy Birding!
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