If you have been trying to attract birds to your yard and have met with little success thus far, it is likely that at least part of the solution includes “improving your landscape” with the birds in mind. It is also important to realize that this part of the solution will yield results more noticeably in the long term.

On a more philosophical vein, it is widely acknowledged by most eminent environmentalists that the single-most important step that anyone can make to ensure the long-term survival of wild bird populations is to improve the landscape for wildlife. In other words, an act as simple as planting a few trees for the birds can have far-reaching consequences (Think globally, act locally…). With this in mind, let’s proceed. The following are a few important rules of thumb to help guide your choice:

 1) Go for versatility: Birds’ basic survival requirements include food, water and shelter. It ensues that the most successful vegetation to plant in your yard to attract birds are the ones that best respond to at least two of these needs, namely food and shelter. In addition to this, carefully consider whether the species you choose are well-suited to your yard and to your region. Consider the species hardiness to the climate, its full-grown size and, to a certain extent, its aesthetic qualities. If you do all of this, you will manage to “kill several birds with one stone” (Pardon the pun!).

2) Go native: Birds and native species of plants and shrubs have co-existed and thrived in the region for millennia. It is only natural that birds will find the food they require most readily in those species of plants with which they have evolved. Wild trees and shrubs have the added advantage of being low-cost, as well as being adapted to the local climate and soil conditions. They therefore will require the least possible effort in transplantation and minimal long-term maintenance to ensure their survival. Many of our local species are also very beautiful. A case in point is the American Mountain Ash, with its crop of bright reddish-orange berries, and the Staghorn Sumac, which, in addition to its dark red fruits, yields fiery-red foliage in the fall. Below is a list of the top five trees and shrubs to plant for birds in the Maritimes:

Let’s continue with a more detailed description of the tree species. Perhaps the very best tree to plant in your yard for birds in this region is the American Mountain Ash (Sorbus americana). This leafy (deciduous) tree, hardy to zone 3, produces showy white flowers in the spring, followed by bright red pome fruits in late summer. Its fruit is eaten by at least a dozen Maritime birds, including the American Robin, Eastern Bluebird, Grey Catbird, Cedar and Bohemian Waxwings, Pine and Evening Grosbeaks. In ideal conditions, its mature height can exceed 8 meters as well, providing nesting sites for a wide variety of species.

Downy Serviceberry (Amelanchier arborea) is another good native deciduous species to plant. It is hardy to zone 3 and produces small purple pome fruits that are eagerly devoured by at least 15 species locally, including the Hairy Woodpecker, Ruffed Grouse, Red-eyed Vireo and Rose-breasted Grosbeak.

Although a single Eastern Red Cedar (Juniper, Juniperus virginiana) tree can supply good, year-round shelter for the birds, you should plant several individuals of both sexes in order to produce a good crop of the blue juniper berries that birds enjoy. These fruits grow only on the female plants. They are a choice food item of many species, including the Cedar Waxwing, Northern Mockingbird and Grey Catbird. Junipers are hardy to zone 3.

Rounding off our list of trees, we have Sugar Maple (hardy to zone 4) and White Spruce (hardy to zone 3). Sugar Maple is a large, attractive tree perhaps best suited to larger yards in the country, as it can be sensitive to urban pollution and its imposing height (20 meters at maturity) can preclude planting it on some smaller city lots. Its winged seeds (called samaras) are consumed by some species, such as the Evening Grosbeak. White Spruce trees are excellent windbreaks and provide year-round shelter for birds. The seeds contained in their cones are eaten by more than a dozen species and are a preferred food item of Evening Grosbeaks, Red-breasted Nuthatches and White-winged Crossbills.

Of the shrubs, Staghorn Sumac (Rhus typhina) is perhaps the easiest and most versatile to grow at home. Hardy to zone 4, its winter-persistent red fruit, which grows only on female plants, is consumed by over 20 species of birds, including American Robin, Blue Jay, Black-capped Chickadee, Red-eyed Vireo and Northern Cardinal.

White Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis), hardy to zone 4, produces a tiny purple fruit which grows in bunches. It is consumed by over 30 species in the Maritimes, including robins, bluebirds, vireos, some warblers and the Northern Cardinal.

Bayberry (Myrica pensylvanica), a native shrub, is hardy to zone 2. It grows naturally in coastal areas, as well as inland on rather sandy soil. It produces small, grey, rather waxy berries that are an important food source for a number of birds, notably the Yellow-rumped Warbler and the Tree Swallow. Interestingly, its leaves are still used by some folks as a local substitute for bay leaves in cooking, and its berries are a source of hard aromatic wax used in the manufacture of bayberry-scented crafts, such as soap and candles.

Dogwoods (Cornus alterniflora and stolonifera) - The Alternate-leaved Dogwood (C. alterniflora) can grow to a height of more than 6 meters, while its smaller cousin, the Red-Osier (C. stolonifera), only rarely surpasses 2 meters. The fruits of these deciduous shrubs are eaten by at least 20 species, including the Downy Woodpecker, Cedar Waxwing, Eastern Bluebird and American Robin. Both are hardy to zone 2.

Highbush Cranberry (Viburnum trilobum), is actually not a cranberry at all. This shrub’s tart red berries are eaten by many birds, including waxwings, robins, Pine Grosbeaks and more. Interestingly, I have found that given the choice between these berries and Mountain Ash, most species will eat the latter first. However, they are readily eaten, are certainly nutritious for the winged folk and are indisputably a very colourful addition to your yard. They are hardy to zone 2 as well.

As far as flowers/groundcover species that are useful for attracting birds, those varieties that can provide both nectar for hummingbirds and butterflies, as well as seeds for the finches, sparrows and chickadees later in the season, are among the most useful. These include Bee Balm, Wild Bergamot and Purple Coneflower in the perennials and Cosmos, various Sunflower species and Zinnias in the annuals.

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