How You Can Help Birds

There are many ways you can help birds in your yard and community!

In Your Own Backyard

1. Plant native plants

Native plants provide food, shelter and nesting sites for native birds. Most native plants attract a high variety of native insects, which are crucial for songbirds. They also provide fruit, seeds and nuts at certain times of the year. Native trees and shrubs provide nesting sites, roosting sites, and cover from predators.

Find bird-friendly native plants with Audubon!

Audubon's Plants for Birds plant finder linked above will give you a list of plants native to your area, and each plant listed has a list of benefits, species attracted to the plant, and local & online resources where you can buy them. Note: the link above is set to 06410, Cheshire, CT, New Haven County.  If you live in another county, you will need to update to your zip code.

2. Provide food and water for birds

Backyard bird feeders are one of the easiest ways to help songbirds. Birds of all colors are attracted to bird feeders — most commonly they are referred to as backyard birds, but occasionally you may find a warbler or thrush looking for an easy snack. 

To be a good bird feeder host, the most important thing you can do is to make sure your feeder is clean and the food is fresh. Remember these tips:

  • Clean your feeders at least once a month, and more often during hot and humid weather or after a soaking rain. Damp food spoils easily and may sicken the birds.

  • Seed and suet can be offered to birds all year.

  • Hummingbird and oriole feeders are common additions from spring until fall.

Water is vital to birds all year, for hydration and to keep their feathers pristine. A running water feature will attract the most variety of birds, but simple bird baths are great too, even a heated one in sub freezing temperatures. As with bird feeders, you must make sure the water source is clean. Make sure to regularly clean those bird baths, fountains and waterfalls. Feel free to contact us for feeder and water advice and resources.

3. Avoid window strikes

Bird deaths due to window strikes is estimated to be at about a billion per year in the United States. Birds don't see windows the same way we do.  They see a reflection as a continuation of the outside, or they see an opening as if they would be able to pass through. Here are some solutions to prevent window strikes:

  • Installing an external mesh screen on each window in your house/building

  • CollidEscape, a film you apply to your windows

  • Window decals or writing on the window with an ultra-violet marker (you can't see it, but the birds can!)

The American Bird Conservancy has additional tips for preventing bird collisions at home.

4. Keep cats indoors

Bird deaths due to invasive cats (outdoor domestic house cats) are right in line with window strikes each year. The domestic cat is a species developed by humans, not native to anywhere on earth. They are skilled hunters of birds and other native wildlife, and often killing for fun rather than food.

Please keep your cat indoors and try to encourage other to do the same. It's safer for our native wildlife as well as our cats.

In Your Community

Help out with bird surveys

Estimating our bird population couldn't be done without the help of volunteers. It could be as little as a couple hours a year to recording birds you see every day! There is a survey for everyone.

National surveys that QVAS participates in each year (and you can too!):

There are also species specific surveys like the USFW eagle survey held each January.

One of the most resourceful tools in tracking birds is eBird by Cornell Lab. This app makes it simple to enter data, and the time spent on it is up to you.