Create a Backyard Bird Sanctuary

There’s something special about stepping outside with a cup of coffee and realizing your backyard is already busy with birds.

A chickadee searches the shrubs. A cardinal disappears into dense cover. Goldfinches pick at fading flower heads. A woodpecker works the trunk of an old tree while another bird splashes in the bath. What was once simply a yard has become habitat—and a wonderful place for you to spend time, too.

That’s what our Backyard Bird Sanctuary section is all about.

Creating a bird-friendly backyard doesn’t mean filling every corner with feeders or completely redesigning your landscape. Birds need the same four essentials wherever they live: food, water, shelter and safe places to nest. The goal is to look at the space you already have and gradually provide more of what’s missing.

Here you’ll find practical ideas for planning your sanctuary, creating layers of trees and shrubs, choosing native plants, adding clean and safe water, setting up feeding stations, providing nesting habitat and making your yard useful to birds throughout every season. We’ll also explore regional ideas, small spaces, common backyard habitat mistakes, and simple projects you can tackle one at a time.

And you don't need a huge yard—or even a traditional yard—to begin. A suburban garden, small patio or balcony can all provide valuable resources when they're planned thoughtfully.

Start with one improvement. Plant a native shrub. Add a shallow bird bath. Leave a few seed heads standing. Give birds another place to hide. Then sit down, pour the coffee, grab your binoculars and see who discovers it.

Your sanctuary doesn't have to be finished to start making a difference.

Create habitat. Welcome more birds. And build a backyard you’ll love spending time in, too.