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From the nervous, steady beat of the hummingbird's wings, to the might of the soaring eagle, to the song sparrow's upbeat morning melody, birds can astound and inspire the people they live around. There are many reasons to invite birds into the backyard.
Birdhouses provide a variety of benefits both practical and aesthetic making them perfect additions to any outdoor space, no matter how big or small it may be. Not only do they add beautiful color and sound, they also help preserve our precious wildlife populations by providing safe havens away from predators, according to The Spruce. Here are seven benefits gleaned from a birdhouse.
Birds keep pests away
Bluebirds, cardinals, chickadees, and other species are voracious predators of pests, according to the blog Earth Eclipse. When these birds take up residence in the backyard, they munch on the aphids, beetles, larvae, and grasshoppers that threaten your garden’s health. They can also significantly reduce mosquitos and fly populations. Inviting avian neighbors to nest in a backyard birdhouse acts as a natural pest control for your property.
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Birds help keep your yard weed-free
Some birds eat creepy-crawly pests and others enjoy eating pesky weed seeds. Jays, sparrows, blackbirds, doves and finches will happily consume these seeds before they spread around your backyard. If you install birdhouses near areas where unwanted plants tend to grow, you’ll find that these areas stay weed-free much longer than if you didn’t have any birds around at all!
Birds help your garden grow
The Backyard Baron site sheds light on bird’s roles both in spreading pollen and spreading seeds. Just like bees and butterflies, hummingbirds, sunbirds, and other birds play a role in pollinating flowering plants. When birds act as pollinators, it’s called ornithophily.
In addition to spreading pollen from one plant to another, some birds can also spread seeds around.They pick up the seeds in one location, and drop them in another, spreading native plants around the neighborhood and building up the local ecosystem. If you have a garden, trees, flowers, or other plants on your property, putting up a birdhouse can attract pollinators and seed-spreaders to help your garden grow.
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Birds keep your soil fertile
There are two ways that feathered friends prepare soil for growing food and flowers. Bird droppings keep the soil fertile. And when birds walk around on the ground, their claws and beaks break up the dirt and keep it loose and absorbent, making it easier for the soil to absorb nutrients and water.
Birdhouses help preserve biodiversity
Attracting avian neighbors to your property helps your gardens and flowerbeds. Building birdhouses also helps the bird population. Urban survival isn’t always so easy for birds who may have lost their habitats to deforestation and natural disasters, according to Earth Eclipse.
By providing birds with a solid and well-protected home, you can ensure the growth of biodiversity and the survival of shrinking bird species, explained The Spruce. The birdhouses’ strong and secure design keep away predators, such as squirrels and snakes, and protect fledgling chicks from bad weather.
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Birds could help relieve stress
Never underestimate the calming, healing power of nature. Watching birds peacefully fly across the backyard, and waking to their song, can relieve stress, according to The Backyard Baron. Birdwatching is calming and therapeutic. Erecting birdhouses brings the therapy to your property.
A birdhouse can kickstart a new hobby
Erecting a birdhouse can be the gateway to new, stimulating, and life-enhancing hobbies. Some people enjoy making, painting, and even selling birdhouses. Others enjoy bird-watching and tracking the avian visitors that make an appearance in their backyards. For those looking to kickstart a nature photography hobby, building a birdhouse is also a great way to get started.
Birdhouses provide a variety of benefits both practical and aesthetic making them perfect additions to any outdoor space, no matter how big or small it may be. Not only do they add beautiful color and sound, they also help preserve our precious wildlife populations by providing safe havens away from predators.
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