Wild birds are wonderful specie to follow and learn about. Bird watching is a growing hobby in the United States. It is fairly easy to attract birds to your backyard using bird feeders, bird houses and bird baths. When all three components combined, it will not take long to have your own wild bird sanctuary in your backyard.

Selecting bird feeders for your backyard may be overwhelming for newbies. The truth is, selecting the bird feeder you want in your backyard can be as easy as one, two, three. First, decide what kind of birds you want to attract. Second, buy a bird feeder and bird food that will attract those birds. Most bird feeders will attract a variety of birds, however, there are certain bird feeders specially designed to attract a particular bird. For example, if you want to attract hummingbirds or orioles you'll need to buy bird feeders that are designed to store hummingbird nectar or fruit, jellies or sweet nectar for orioles. The third part is the easiest and most enjoyable: find a place to put your bird feeder. You can hang bird feeders from tree branches or place them on top of the rail of your deck. Another popular way of displaying your bird feeders for wild birds is on a hook stand or bracket. Hook stands can come as a single hook or others can hold as much as 4-8 bird feeders at one time. Wherever you place your bird feeders make sure you can see them and enjoy them.

There are two popular types of bird houses: functional and decorative. Functional bird houses may not be as pretty to look at but they are built for the sole purpose of housing birds. Decorative bird houses, on the other hand, are mostly built for decoration. These bird houses become popular collector items for gardeners and the like. Then you have your functional decorative bird houses. You will get the most out of your money with these types of bird houses. If you can find a bird house that is built to both house birds and decorate your yard it's a win/win for everybody involved. To keep bird houses safe from raccoons and cats, mount the bird houses atop metal poles. If you want to put a bird house in a tree, hang it from a branch. Make sure to keep bird houses away from any bird feeders. Mealtime can make nesting birds nervous and scare them off. Wherever you plan on putting your bird house try to face the entrance of the bird house away from any prevailing weather. You can also remove the perch if your bird house comes with one; they are unnecessary and house sparrows may sit on them to heckle birds inside the bird house.

Bird baths hold water to let wild birds bathe and drink from. You can find bird baths in all different shapes and sizes. Just like any bird feeder, in order to maintain and help birds build a residency in your backyard it's important to keep the water in your bird bath clean. Switch out the water and wipe the bowl out at least once a week. This will not only help keep the water clean but will reduce the chance for mosquitos to breed in the water. Bird baths are a fun and attractive garden feature for both wild birds and the gardener, however, it is hard to enjoy when you are swarmed with mosquitos. Depending on where you live in the country mosquitos are all over bird baths like bees on honey so keep these tips in mind when choosing a place for your bird bath.

Bird feeders, bird houses, and bird baths make wonderful lawn ornaments, provide a substantial living environment for wild birds and make gardeners happy. All three components are essential to any backyard in hopes to build a residency for wild birds year after year. Just think what you go home to every night. You have food, shelter and a place to clean up. That is what you are providing for wild birds using bird feeders, bird houses, and bird baths. These are very inviting features to wild birds, therefore, hard to pass up. Join the bird watching community and incorporate bird feeders, bird houses and bird baths in your backyard today!