You can encourage birds to visit your garden.

• Plant the right trees and shrubs to provide seeds, fruits and nectar which birds love. The same tree may feed different birds at different times during the year.
• Trap any pests in your ‘hood. Rats and mice are always found where people go, so make sure you do not leave food around to attract them to your place. Opposums eat new growth in forests as well as taking eggs from nests.
• Make  sure that cats cannot reach bird baths or feeding tables.
• Keep your pet cat inside at night. Birds are born with a hunting instinct. No matter how well fed they are, or how soft and cuddly, they enjoy stalking and catching anything that moves – flies, skinks, birds, mice, even butterflies and moths. They may sleep all day but at dawn and dusk they feel the urge to go hunting.
• Keep dogs away from nesting birds, especially at the beach. If birds are disturbed they may abandon their nests, the eggs may get cold and not hatch, or the chicks may not be fed enough to grow strong and thus die before fledging.
• Think twice before feeding introduced birds such as sparrows, mynas, feral pigeons and mallard ducks. These birds can easily survive without handouts.

Websites

• DOC Attract birds to your garden
• Kiwi Gardener – planting for birds
• Zealandia Guide – Feeding birds at home

Don’t come any closer.