Feeding birds can be fun, but without the appropriate habitat the quantity and variety of birds showing up at feeders can be limited.
Here are some recommendations of plants that provide birds with the food and shelter they need to thrive. Native plants are preferred, but most birds will adapt to non-native plants too.
Conifers
Cone bearing trees and shrubs provide excellent shelter, seeds in their cones that some birds can access, and many types of insects for the insectivores.
Pines, firs and Douglas-fir, hemlock, and spruce all are excellent choices, and there are native plants in all of these types. Smaller shrubbier choices are available, including juniper and yew – be aware that some of the specialty dwarf conifers do not produce cones.
Grasses
Ornamental grasses provide large volumes of seed, shelter for ground-level foragers, and valuable nesting material. Native grasses include: tufted hair grass, Roemer’s fescue, Prairie Junegrass, and Blue wildrye.
Broadleaf Trees and Shrubs
Many trees and shrubs provide bird habitat. Most provide good shelter. Many are also insect habitat for the bug eaters, and some provide secondary resources, such as nectar or spring buds.
Bird Plant List
Altogether, here are a few of the best plants for birds that grow in our area:
Trees
- Maples:
- What birds like: seed, insect, shelter, buds.
- Species: vine maple, bigleaf maple, Douglas maple are native
- Oaks:
- What birds like: seed, insect, shelter.
- Species: Oregon white oak is native, but grows very slow.
- Willows:
- What birds like: shelter, insects, nectar, buds.
- Species: our natives are shrubby, Pacific willow, Scouler’s willow, Hooker willow.
- Cascara:
- What birds like: berries, insects, shelter.
- Species: native.
- Hawthorn
- What birds like: berries, insects, shelter.
- Species: Black hawthorn is native.
- Serviceberry:
- What birds like: berries, insects, shelter.
- Species: Western serviceberry is native.
Shrubs
- Barberry:
- What birds like: berries, shelter, buds, nectar.
- Species: not native; some are evergreen.
- Dogwood:
- What birds like: berries, insects, shelter, nectar.
- Species: Redtwig dogwood is native.
- Cotoneaster:
- What birds like: berries, shelter, nectar.
- Species: not native; some are evergreen.
- Oregon grape:
- What birds like: berries, shelter, nectar.
- Species: evergreen; native.
- Ninebark:
- What birds like: seeds, shelter, nesting material, buds, insects.
- Species: Pacific ninebark is native.
- Currant:
- What birds like: berries, shelter, insects, nectar.
- Species: stinking currant, swamp gooseberry, and red flowering currant are native.
- Elderberry:
- What birds like: berries, shelter, nectar.
- Species: red elderberry and blue elderberry are native.
- Oceanspray:
- What birds like: seed, shelter, nectar, insects.
- Species: native.
- Spiraea:
- What birds like: seed, shelter, buds, insects, nectar.
- Species: hardhack, or Western spiraea, is native.
- Huckleberry/Blueberry:
- What birds like: berries, shelter, insects.
- Species: evergreen huckleberry is native.
- Twinberry:
- What birds like: berries, shelter, buds, nectar, insects.
- Species: twinberry is native; other shrubby honeysuckles are not.
- Viburnum:
- What birds like: berries, shelter, insects, buds.
- Species: oval-leaf viburnum is native.
Flowers
Not all birds like to forage up in the branches. Here are some low-lying flowers that also feed the birds:
- Yarrow – seeds, nectar. Natives available.
- Aster – seeds. Natives available.
- Sedum – seeds, nectar. Natives available.
- Checker mallow – seeds, nectar. Natives available.
- Strawberry – berries. Natives available.
- False solomon’s seal/false Lily of the valley – berries, nectar. Natives.
- Lupine – seeds, nectar. Natives available.
- Columbine – seeds, nectar. Natives available.
- Coneflower – seeds, nectar. Not native.
- Blackeyed susan – seeds. Natives available.
- Sunflower – seeds, insects. Natives available.
- Milkweed – seeds, insects, nectar, nesting material. Natives available.
Download this information as a printable PDF, HERE.