Many bird watchers take their bird feeders in during the summer months in order to save money, but you can continue to attract birds to your yard throughout the summer months with the help of mast-producing trees and shrubs. Many species of birds enjoy a delicious fruit snack, including both backyard favorites such as orioles, robins, thrushes, waxwings, grosbeaks, woodpeckers, cardinals, and towhees, and game birds such as turkeys, quail, and pheasant.
By planting a mix of summer-fruiting and autumn-fruiting shrubs near your house, you can continue to enjoy backyard bird watching all year long, even if you set out feeders only in winter.
Some great summer fruiting shrubs and trees that birds love include:
- serviceberries
- blackberries and raspberries
- wild cherries and plums
- elderberries
- mulberries
- wild grapes
- blueberries and huckleberries
Most fruiting trees and shrubs do triple duty for birds. In addition to the fruits and berries they produce, they offer shelter from predators and bad weather, and the spring blossoms attract insects, the most important source of food for nearly all species of nestlings and fledgelings, even those that prefer seeds or fruits as adults.
Most summer fruiting trees and shrubs that are popular with birds are also considered delicious by humans and other wildlife species.
Related posts: