Marc Worner feels plant selection is for the birds…well…for attracting birds, anyway.
When you next construct a landscape think about attracting birds to it by selecting certain plants. It takes no extra cost or effort and will not restrict your preferred theme. Plants chosen can be ornamental or Australian species, and in this article, I concentrate on common Australian plants.
Soils ain’t soils
It’s all about selecting plants which will provide birds with food, water, shelter, somewhere to hangout during the day and a cosy bed at night.
Australia and its territories are home to around 800 species of bird; about 350 of these are endemic to the zoogeographic region that covers Australia, New Guinea and New Zealand.
Gardens that contain a broad range of plant species are more likely to support a broad range of bird species. Some trees and shrubs provide all of their needs while other trees and shrubs are specialist providers of different parts of their habitat.
In all cases, you need to choose plant species suitable for the area and soil type when attracting birds. For instance, you would not try to grow conifers in sandy, coastal soils.
Endemic or local plant lists can be obtained from most local councils.
Remember, plants do only as well as the soil in which they grow. Nutrient-deficient soils need compost and manures to be added before planting takes place. Acidic soils need lime added to increase alkalinity. Plants can best take up most available nutrients with a soil pH of around 6.6.
TIP: I always add water-storing crystals infused with a seaweed solution to every planting hole, and I continue using a seaweed solution when watering for the first month after planting to encourage the fibrous root growth of all plants.
Structuring
All good garden design includes plant layering or structure – trees, tall shrubs, small shrubs, and groundcovers. Remember to include focal points and position the plants so your client’s favourite birds are easily seen from where they spend time in their outdoor space.
The Red Wattlebird, Rainbow Lorikeet and Eastern Spine Bill particularly like correas (native fuchsia), eremophilas and grevilleas.
Eremophilas are worthy to be included in any garden. They are found mainly in arid inland areas of the continent, are very drought tolerant, and can be found growing in acid and alkaline soils that range from sand to clay. There are hundreds of species, subspecies and hybrids, ranging from prostrate ground covers all the way to small trees. The flower colours come in nearly every shade of the rainbow and the size and shape also varies.
Shelter and refuge
Small birds often flee from raptors and ground-dwelling predators into low spiky shrubs such as:
• The hakeas (poor man’s grevillea) distinguished by their woody seed pods. Finches, wrens, robins and Brown Thornbills love hakea bushes.
• Grevillea rosmarinifolia, Grevillea juniperina and other low-growing grevilleas have short spiny foliage with red flowers most of the time.
• Callistemon citrinus (Lemon-scented bottlebrush) grows to about three metres with sharply-pointed leaves and a glorious display of red flowers in Spring.
TIP: Select plants with smaller flowers that small honeyeaters can fit their beaks into but larger birds cannot.
Shrubbery
Planting dense shrubs, particularly spiky shrubs, may be the best strategy for minimising the negative effects of Noisy Miners (which eat honey, fruit and insects) and attracting more small birds into the garden.
Other birds require tall shelter which in itself needs a large space to allow for root and canopy growth. Here are some big trees you may wish to consider for acreage properties:
• Eucalyptus leucoxylon (Yellow Gum) grows to about 20 metres with attractive bark. The flowers are usually seen in Winter, Spring and Summer, and may be red, pink or purple.
• Eucalyptus eximia (Yellow Bloodwood) also grows to about 20 metres, with grey-green foliage and masses of white flowers, usually in Summer. These two eucalypts will attract Rainbow Lorikeets, Red Wattlebirds and Silvereyes. Did you know a small flock of Silvereyes was taken to New Zealand in 1852 and now it’s their most common bird?
• Allocasuarina torulosa (Forest She-Oak) grows to about 15 metres with attractive needle-like foliage, furrowed bark and hard fruits suitable for Glossy Black Cockatoos.
• Syncarpia glomulifera (Turpentine) grows to 20 metres in gullies and side slopes with a crown that casts a deep shade. They have masses of white flowers in Spring. Owls often use the Turpentine tree as a daytime roost or nest.
• Eucalyptus sideroxylon (Mugga Ironbark) may grow to 20 metres. The wood is relatively hard and dense and is often used for firewood. Interestingly, at about 1130kg/ m3 it is one of the few timbers that will not float.
• Callitris (Cypress Pine) grows to about 20 metres. Cypress wood is durable and naturally repels insect attacks, including termites. It was used as weatherboards in houses around Australia in the 1950s and 1960s. Indigenous people use Northern Cypress as firewood and for spear throwers and ceremonial objects. The tree resin is used to make glue while other parts of the tree are used for medicines. It is usually impractical to grow tall trees such as the many eucalypts in urban backyards, but there are a variety of eucalypts – or more correctly Corymbia – which work a treat. They only grow to about five metres, are not invasive and birds flock to them. Two such cultivars are ‘Summer Beauty’ and ‘Summer Red’.
Nesting sites
If you construct a secluded garden free from interference from cats and dogs, birds may be attracted to nest. It is important to have food plants and those which attract insects near the site because small birds must conserve energy while nesting.
Buff-Rumped Thornbills may nest close to the ground amongst clumps of grass such as Lomandra longifolia (Basket Grass). Some other appropriate grasses one could include in the landscape to attract little, defenceless birds include: * Festuca – a species of popular bluecoloured grasses. Most prefer a hot, sunny position, although some survive in the shade. Use as low-growing border plants, as rockery specimens, or in massed plantings in raised planter boxes.
* Japanese Blood Grass – an ornamental grass with blood-red leaves. This striking feature plant is often used in show gardens around the world. It prefers moist, fertile soil and full sun.
* Kangaroo and Wallaby Grasses – tough, low-maintenance plants that thrive in all Australian soils.
Climbers such as clematis (or Pepper Vine) are also valuable nesting sites for small birds while providing contrasting shape, colour and form in any garden.
amongst clumps of grass such as Lomandra longifolia
(Basket Grass). Image: faithie/stock.adobe.com
Food plants
Birds need to eat every day, so I stress the importance of plants that flower over a long period. Birds depend on trees and shrubs for food in a variety of ways. They may feed on nectar in flowers or eat seeds and soft fruits. Many birds are insectivorous, seeking insects in flowers, branches and leaves and in the airspace between plants.
At any time in the year there is an acacia (wattle) species flowering. They also produce copious amounts of seed.
The flowers of Banksia spinulosa (Hairpin Banksia) are favourites of honey-eating birds. This bush is a good food source for bees and provides cut flowers for indoors.
Banksia ericifolia (Heath-leaved Banksia) and Banksia integrifolia (Coastal Banksia) attract Red Wattlebirds.
Anigozanthus species (Kangaroo Paw) is an excellent choice of plants to have in your garden to attract the nectar-feeding birds.
Melaleuca hypericifolia (Red flowered Paperbark) also grows to about two metres with light-red brushes in Spring and Summer with a weeping habit. Plants can be severely pruned to near ground level if rejuvenation is required, but regular, light pruning is preferable to maintain a bushy shape. The capsules contain numerous fine seeds.
As ground covers, include in your list: grevillea ‘Poorinda Royal Mantle’, and Grevillea lanigera Mt Tamboritha form. TIP: If you want to attract night birds such as owls and frogmouths, plant white- or lemon-flowered shrubs to attract nightflying insects such as moths.
Plants with seed
Acacia elata (Cedar Wattle) is taller and longer living than many wattles, with attractive foliage and cream summer flowers. Acacia suaveolens (Sweet-scented Wattle) is only about one- to two-metres high with grey/green foliage.
Cassia artemisioides (Silver Cassia) is a low shrub to one metre with silver foliage and bright yellow flowers in the Spring.
Pultenea (Hairy Bush Pea or Bacon and Eggs) and other pea flowers produce edible seeds which attract colourful Rosellas. Pultenea spp. are shrubs to about 1.5 metres with yellow flowers in Winter and Spring.
Plants for insect-eating birds
Acmena smithii (lilli pilli) is an adaptable rainforest plant with glossy green foliage, pink new foliage, white flowers in Summer and fruit during the Winter.
Elaeocarpus reticulatis (Blueberry Ash) is also a rainforest tree and often a shrub in sandstone soils with attractive white to pink flowers in Summer and blue fruits in Autumn. Callistemon pallidus (Lemon Bottlebrush) is good for attracting insect-eating birds. It grows to about four metres with yellow flowers in Spring.
Most of the Acacia species do a great job in attracting insect eating birds.