Attracting birds to your yard is as simple as scattering birdseed on a picnic table. Keeping them around, though, requires a little more effort.
“Make sure the birdseed is fresh, and if you want a variety of birds, you need a variety of seeds,” said Nick Brown, owner of Wild Birds Unlimited in Hixson.
Birdbaths and birdhouses can also entice birds to settle in your yard, but location is important.
“Where you place a birdhouse makes a difference,” Brown said. “Some species like to be out in the open, while others like to be in a covered area with foliage. You can put birdhouses on a pole with a baffle – it prevents squirrels, raccoons and other predators from raiding birdhouses and getting the eggs.”
Bird feeders attract more birds than birdhouses do, Brown said.