Birds and their chirping are an essential part of most people’s visits to gardens and parks. Studies have shown that our satisfaction with life is related to the number of bird species in our immediate environment.  

What is the significance of birds in garden ecosystems? 

Birds are an important part of the “eat and be eaten” food chain. They consume insects, effectively regulating the potential damage caused by species such as aphids or caterpillars in a natural way. For example, a pair of tits needs up to 75kg of insects per year for themselves and the rearing of their young. Since tits need about 1/3 of their body weight in food, they consume approximately 800 aphids per day, for instance. No wonder our ancestors always installed tit boxes in their vegetable gardens!  

Birds also serve as “indicators” of landscape changes and the diversity of other species as they can fly into many different habitats. Thanks to birds, we have been able to recognize the decline of various habitats (fewer structurally rich hedges for breeding and hiding, increase of impermeable surfaces like asphalt) based on the decreasing number of and diversity of bird species. On the other hand, a loss of insect diversity and quantity becomes visible (i.e. less food for birds in both quantity and quality, meaning less for survival and for raising young).  

Garden birds need our help. What can we do? 

• Offer year-round feeding: 

• Provide food during the winter for birds that will hibernate near us due to milder temperatures 

• Provide food during the summer to compensate for the lower supply of insects 

• Avoid pesticides for pest control as birds will consume the insects and be harmed by the toxins 

• Promote insect diversity as a natural food source for birds by planting insect-friendly plants on balconies and gardens 

• Create structurally rich areas for breeding and hiding (hedges, climbing plants, trees) 

• Install nesting boxes 

• Set up a bird bath to provide year-round drinking and bathing opportunities  

• Protect birds from cats 

Birds at the feeding station include:  

Blackbirds, robins, great tits, blue tits, jays, woodpeckers, etc.  

Seedeaters like tits, finches and sparrows like sunflower seeds, cereal grains or chopped peanuts and hazelnuts. Blackbirds and thrushes are soft-feed eaters and enjoy hanging apples.  

Birds that breed in nesting boxes include: 

Nuthatches, wrens, great tits, blue tits, robins, sparrows, wagtails, starlings, etc.