You don’t need to travel very far to find amazing birds.

There are lots of ways to make your home more bird-friendly. Below are some of our favorite resources.

Preventing window collisions

Windows and buildings pose some of the biggest dangers to birds, especially during migration. Learn about preventing window collisions at your home here.

A ruby-throated hummingbird visits a native cardinal flower. Photo courtesy USFWS — A ruby-throated hummingbird visits a native cardinal flower. *Photo courtesy USFWS*

Birdscaping your yard

Birdscaping is landscaping for the birds! With thoughtful plant choices (we love varieties that are native to Wisconsin), you can make your outdoor spaces (no matter how big or small) better for our feathered friends.

Best Wisconsin Native Plants for Birds (via Wild Ones)
How to Create a Bird-friendly Yard (via Audubon)
10 Plants for a Bird-friendly Yard (via Audubon)
Attracting Birds to your Backyard (via Cornell Lab of Ornithology)
Birdscaping in the Midwest: A Guide to Gardening with Native Plants to Attract Birds (book by Mariette Nowak)
Bringing Nature Home: How You Can Sustain Wildlife with Native Plants (book by Doug Tallamy)

Feeding Birds

Northern cardinal eating sunflower seed. Photo by Phil Brown — Northern cardinal eating sunflower seed. *Photo by Phil Brown*

Feeding birds in our own backyards can bring us a lot of joy - but make sure you're doing your best to provide quality sources of nutrition for your backyard visitors! Here are some tips on bird feeding best-practices.

Blue jays and other birds love peanuts! Photo by Jamie McCaffrey — Blue jays and other birds love peanuts! *Photo by Jamie McCaffrey*

Feeding Birds (collection of articles from Cornell Lab of Ornithology)
Bird Feeding for Beginners: Four Can't-Miss Ways to Attract Birds to Your Yard or Deck (via National Wildlife Federation)
To Feed, or Not To Feed? (via Audubon)
Bird Feeding Tips (via Audubon)
Guide to Winter Bird Feeding (via Audubon)
Top 10 Backyard Bird Feeding Mistakes (via Birding at About.com)
How to Create a Hummingbird Friendly Yard (via Audubon)
Audubon Bird Feeding Brochures

Attracting Breeding Birds

Your backyard can be a great place for a breeding birds to build their nests. Providing nest boxes for birds is a great way to help them raise successful broods.

Nest Box overview by the National Audubon Society
Bluebird Nest Boxes via the Bluebird Restoration Association of Wisconsin
All About Birdhouses with Cornell Lab of Ornithology's NestWatch

Header photo by Phil Brown/Flickr Creative Commons. A Baltimore Oriole enjoys an orange.