Shrubs, another good bird magnet, are easier to plant than trees and are more permanent than flowers. If you were to plant only two varieties you could hardly do better than the blueberry and blackberry, says Tufts. Birds are enticed by berries of all kinds. Berry-producing bushes popular with many birds include the bayberry, wax myrtle, gooseberry and currant. The berries of the American or common elder have been shown to attract 30 different species of birds.
Birds also love the seed of native grasses.
Plant them if you have room. They'll add color and texture to your landscape, and their seed heads will offer food from late summer into winter, according to Tufts. Many of the popular, ornamental varieties are indigenous to the open prairie regions of the Midwest. Contact your county cooperative extension agent for a list of grasses suitable to your area. Copyright 1998, Mark Harris.