Bird Haven

Portlanders are lucky to live in a city with so much green space.

Our combination of rivers, parks and mild climate allows Portland to host a vast array of birds and wildlife, and many will visit or even nest in local yards given a few simple provisions.

Birds are attracted to areas where the three basic needs of Cover, Food and Water are met.

Snowberry

Start with Native Plants:

Incorporating as many native plants as possible provides for a bird’s two most basic needs, food and shelter.

Visit our feature page on Natives that attract hummingbirds.

Providing Food

Birds eat a varied diet of berries, seeds, nuts, grains, insects and nectars that changes with their seasonal needs. Some birds need sugary berries during nesting season and fatty nuts in winter. Your yard will be more habitable if you provide a variety of foods year round.

In the fall, leave the leaves! Leaves, spent flowers and hollow stems provide places for insects important to feeding birds can regenerate.

Add plants that provide berries, nuts & seeds:

(Follow the links to read more about the selections below.)

It should be noted that plants grown to provide fruit and berries for human consumption will also be attractive to birds. Protect these plants with bird netting, reflective bird scare tape or motion sensing sprinklers.

Install feeders to provide a variety of seeds, grains & fruits.

Cornus 'Argentea'

Plants to provide fruits:

Corylus

Plants to provide nuts:

Pennisetum

Plants to provide seeds:


Add flowering plants to provide nectar:

Lonicera

Vines

Kniphofia

Perennials

Tender Fuchsia

Annuals

Great Projects for your Garden