Attracting Wildlife to Your Marin County Garden

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Attracting Wildlife FAQ:

A beautiful garden area in your back yard can attract all kinds of birds and other wildlife. If you want to attract certain wildlife to your garden area, you simply need to make your yard very attractive to the animals you are wanting to attract. Adding a birdhouse to your yard is one way to bring birds to your yard. Selecting a birdhouse involves some pre-planning based upon your expectations and setting. When selecting a birdhouse it is important to keep these factors in mind:

The type of birds you are trying to attract.
85 species of North American birds are defined as cavity nesters- of these approximately 30 species of birds will use a birdhouse.
Once you have selected the species you want to attract, learn about their specific needs.
The desired appearance and visible setting for the birdhouse (place away from your birdfeeders).
Place opposite wind currents, in a relatively sunny area.
Proximity of protective landscaping to the bird house.
Ease of cleaning and maintenance.
Competition and threat from other animals (cats, squirrels, raccoons, hawks).
Pay particular attention to the interior dimensions required by the species you want to attract.
Resist the temptation to cluster numerous bird houses together, birds are very territorial.
Clean the bird house annually using a 10% bleaching solution.
Be patient. Even with the right mixture of habitat, positioning, selection of housing, water, and feed; it will take time before your site is adopted by a nesting pair of birds.