Backyard Wildlife

Place bird feeders where birds can see roaming cats, reach nearby escape cover and avoid concealed ambush points. Learn when moving—or removing—the feeder is safer.

Make a balcony safer and more useful for birds with bird-safe glass, secure native plant containers, clean water and a setup that respects wind, weight and building rules.

Make a small yard more bird-friendly with compact native plants, vertical structure, clean water, safe windows and habitat features that earn their limited space.

Build a layered bird-friendly garden with canopy, understory, shrubs, flowers, groundcover, leaf litter and safe deadwood that provide food and cover year-round.

A brush pile can give birds shelter, escape cover and insect-rich foraging habitat. Learn how to build one safely—and when fire or rodent risk means you should skip it.

Leaving some fallen leaves in garden beds can shelter overwintering insects, feed ground-foraging birds and improve soil while keeping lawns and paths clear.

Standing dead trees can provide birds with cavities, insects, roosts and perches. Learn why snags matter—and when safety means a dead tree should come down.

Choose berry-producing shrubs for birds by local native range, site fit, fruiting season, mature size and pollination needs—not from a one-size-fits-all plant list.