Want to help birds right from your backyard?
Planting native flowers, shrubs, and trees helps restore nature’s balance by feeding pollinators, insects, and—ultimately—birds.
With 15 billion trees cut down yearly, according to National Geographic, birds are continually being pushed out of their homes. Native plants support nature’s balance by sustaining pollinators and insects, which works their way up the food chain.
Why Native Plants Make a Difference:
- Native plants need less watering, less maintenance, and way less fuss.
- Pollinators love them, and birds rely on those pollinators.
- Your garden will attract hummingbirds, butterflies, and other show-stopping visitors.
As Buffalo Audubon puts it in an explainer from their blog:
“Native plants support nature’s balance because birds depend on plants and “insects that have co-evolved with them,” as an Audubon Magazine article about the subject puts it. For instance, it continues, research from entomologist Doug Tallamy shows native oak trees can support as many as 550 species of butterflies and moths, while non-native ginkos only support five.
“By making native plants part of your gardens, you can provide the berries, insects and other nutrients birds depend on, as well as places to evade predators and potential nesting sites and materials.”
Find Native Plants Near You
Explore resources from Audubon’s Native Plant Finder and Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper to learn about plants that are native to your area.
Photo by Bill Annis, Buffalo Audubon
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Related Reading:
Explore these other helpful resources on native plants and more.
Buffalo Audubon Society
Dedicated to connecting with and protecting the natural world through bird-focused activities, advocacy, and habitat restoration