Gardening

As human beings we have created a new place to live, a new habitat of concrete, roads, cars and housing schemes that continue to consume more and more natural habitats placing enormous pressure on bird communities and other forms of wildlife. We as landowners can play a very valuable role in helping these bird communities to re-establish themselves. By planting indigenous plants in our gardens, we might be able to re-establish some of the habitats that were lost.

By selecting the above links you will find information about bird identification, how to watch birds, how to prepare your gardens for birds as well as some useful books and web pages.

As human beings we have created a new habitat, consisting of lots of trees and plants where birds can forage and breed.

Let me start this section by admitting that I am not a gardening expert. But therein lies hope for all of us. For if I, by following a few basic guidelines, can attract a fair number of birds to my garden then anybody can do it!

I do not plan to provide you with tons of information about gardening. Books listed on these pages, provide detailed information with wonderful ideas about gardening. It would serve no purpose to repeat this information here. But a few short notes will get you going.

Think needs!

The easiest way to think about gardening for birds is to think in terms of the needs of birds. What resources do they need to survive? If you can provide them with those resources they will come to your garden. There can be no doubt about that.

So what resources do birds need? The following are the most important:

• Food
• Water
• Hiding and roosting places
• Spaces/places to breed

So how do you provide these resources?

Experienced birdwatchers know that habitat plays an important role in bird distribution. Some birds prefer open grasslands, others dense forests, open water, deserts and so on. This is so because birds have adapted to use resources from those habitats and they would not feel "comfortable" getting food from a habitat that they do not know.

In order for you to attract a wide variety of species to your garden, you must also try to provide a number of "habitats" (maybe not the correct term to use in relation to gardens, but it illustrates the point well) in your garden. Some birds will enjoy large trees to hide, roost or nest in (Hadedas), others like open spaces (Cape Wagtails). If you have a fish pond you might be so lucky to get a few kingfishers. Dense bushes will attract a Cape Robin-chat or a thrush. Fruiting trees will attract lots of species as for instance mousebirds and woodpeckers or African Green-pigeons. You can also add food "artificially" by establishing a bird feeder and by providing worms you will attract shrikes and other insect eating birds to your garden.

Naturally you will not be able to establish all of these areas in your garden, especially if your garden is small or situated in a complex. But even if you establish one or more of these areas in your garden you will create opportunities for birds to come and visit your garden. You will be amazed by the results.

Please follow the links to the pages on the top right hand side of these pages - it is my hope that these pages and the books that you will read about his subject, will provide you with some ideas to create a wonderful bird friendly garden.