How To Attract Birds
to Your Deck or Patio

By Richard Worden

There are several benefits of having birds around your deck—they enhance the landscape and can help with insect control. If you have flowers around these areas, attracting birds will help them thrive by facilitating pollination. So, how to attract birds to your deck or patio?...here's how

To attract birds to your deck or patio, set up a feeding area and install water points. You can also provide suitable bird nesting options and make the space more colorful. Keep predators away and ensure that everything around your deck or patio stays clean.

This article will show the most effective ways to draw birds to your deck or patio. I will also share valuable tips and products to help you achieve this goal.

1. Set Up Bird Feeding Areas

Setting up bird feeders in a conspicuous location on your deck or patio is the first step in attracting birds. The selected spot needs to be safe and away from bird predators such as cats and squirrels, which may attack the birds and scare them off.

It’s a good idea to install different kinds of feeders so that you can attract various bird species to your space. The bird feeders should also be able to withstand different climates without getting damaged or compromising the quality of the bird feed inside.

Another helpful tip is to install the bird feeders at different heights, as it not only enhances the aesthetic of your patio but also gives you a better chance of attracting birds. Doing this also prevents conflicts between the different birds as they feed.

Fill your feeders with a variety of quality bird feed, preferably using separate feeders for each type of bird feed you provide. 

Best Bird Feed Brands for Attracting Wild Birds

To make your shopping experience easier, here are some suggestions of products that you can find on Amazon:

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2. Install Water Points

So, how to attract birds to your deck or patio? providing water points for birds, especially in the summer, is another effective way to entice birds. Birds need water for two main reasons: drinking and bathing. 

You can use several methods to provide water to wild birds, but bird baths and bird waterers are ideal options for decks or patios. This is mainly because they occupy relatively small spaces and will not interfere with the rest of your setup. I suggest using both methods to separate drinking water from bath water.

You must ensure that the water you provide is clean, as dirty water can transmit pests and diseases among the birds. I recommend regularly checking the water and changing it as soon as it gets murky.

Keep the water at room temperature. This maintains optimum thermal comfort for the birds.

Best Bird Water Points

If you don’t know where to start, check out these helpful waterers on Amazon:

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3. Provide Nesting Options for the Birds

Shelter is a basic bird need, and you can attract more birds to your deck or patio by offering safe and practical shelter solutions. 

Birds use nesting boxes primarily for two reasons: keeping their young ones safe and laying eggs. You can put up birdhouses or grow bird-friendly trees and plants where the birds will be safe from conditions such as adverse weather and predators, which will discourage birds from coming to your deck or patio.

How to Choose a Nesting Box

Nest houses are available for purchase, but you can also build one. When acquiring a nest house, you should consider the following factors when figuring out how to attract birds to your deck or patio:

• How large are the birds you want to attract? This will help you determine the ideal size for the nesting box. Larger birds will require larger nesting boxes. Avoid tiny nesting boxes, as they may discourage birds from laying many eggs.
• Does the nest offer adequate protection from harsh elements? For example, if your region experiences lower temperatures throughout the year, ensure that the nest you choose can withstand the cold and wet weather while keeping the birds safe. 
• What materials is the nesting box made from? Avoid nesting boxes made from non-insulating material such as metal, as they quickly get too hot or cold. Wood is an ideal choice because it is a good insulator.
• Can you easily access the inside of the nesting box? The nesting box should be easily opened to allow cleaning and other maintenance procedures, such as removing eggs from invasive birds.

Set up several nesting boxes to attract more birds and prevent conflict among the birds. Ensure that they are securely placed and away from predators. 

The entrance hole of each nesting box should face northeastward so that just enough sunlight passes through and the birds are neither too warm nor too cold. Furthermore, there should be no obstructions before the entrance holes, as they may prevent the birds from locating them.

Remember to keep the nesting boxes clean to prevent the transmission of pests and diseases in between breeding seasons. 

4. Make the Space More Colorful

Bright colors—except white—are very attractive to birds, so incorporating them into your deck or patio will help you draw more birds to these areas.

Fortunately, you have several options to achieve a colorful deck or patio. Here are some suggestions:

• Place some brightly-colored potted plants around the area.
• Decorate with colorful accessories.
• Use brightly colored paints. 

Ensure that the paints you use are animal friendly and contain no toxic elements.

Try to place colorful accessories near the bird feeders or baths, as this combination is much better for attracting birds.

5. Keep Predators Away

Pets, especially cats, can prey on birds or scare them off. You must keep them away from your deck or patio so that birds will feel safe coming around these areas. Although not all pets are predators, they may scare away wild birds. 

Also, be on the lookout for invasive birds, which you may unknowingly attract by following the guidelines I’m giving you. Some of the disadvantages of attracting invasive bird species to your deck or patio are:

• They might spread pests and diseases
• They can outcompete other birds for the bird feed, driving them away
• They may take over nesting sites and scare other birds off

If you notice invasive birds taking over the nesting boxes or bird feeders, consider using the following methods to get rid of them:

• Manually ‘shooing’ them to drive them off
• Removing their eggs from the nesting boxes
• Replacing nesting boxes with ones that have smaller entrance holes
• Using sparrow ‘spookers’
  
  

6. Keep Everything Clean

Birds enjoy clean surroundings, so you must keep everything spotless if you hope to attract them to your deck or patio. This involves cleaning surfaces, furniture, and all your bird feeding or nesting equipment. 

As mentioned earlier, you should change out the water in the bird baths as often as possible to prevent possible contamination. Ensure that the water you provide is clean.

Similarly, keep a close eye on the bird feeders to make sure that the birds' feed remains fresh. Replace the feed if you notice that it no longer looks fresh. It’s a good idea to keep the feed’s packaging in case you forget the best-before date. Remember to clean the feeder when replacing the feed to prevent contaminating the fresh feed.

How To Attract Birds To Your Deck Or Patio ...Conclusion

Attracting birds to your deck or patio is relatively simple if you don’t skip any step in this guide. Focus on creating a welcoming environment for the birds by catering to their basic needs: food, water, and shelter.

Look out for invasive bird species and predators that may scare off the birds and undo all your hard work. 

Finally, keep everything clean so your deck or patio doesn’t become a hub for bird pests and diseases. Besides, you are more likely to attract birds to a clean space than to an unkempt one.

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Hi! I'm Richard Worden, the author and founder of We Know Birds.

Over 20 years ago I developed a keen interest in birds and birdwatching, and it has been my passion ever since. I am committed to spreading useful knowledge about birds to others so we might all enjoy them to the fullest.

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