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Residents have become increasingly interested in attracting native birds to their backyard. However, did you know that by
feeding birds a diet of bread and honey or sugar and water can have a disastrous effect on their health? Here are some tips on
the best ways in which you can attract Ryde's beautiful birdlife.
Create a suitable environment by planting native trees and shrubs which belong to the Ryde area. Some recommended bird
attracting plants are:
- Lorikeets:
Banksias, Paperbacks, Eucalypts.
- Honeyeaters:
Nectar bearing plants such as Bottlebrushes, Grevilleas, Banksias.
- Blue Wrens and other small insect feeding birds:
Low spiky bushes such as Hakeas and some Grevilleas offer protection and attract insects for them to eat.
A bird bath will also attract birds, however, it must be kept clean and placed in an area away from the reach of cats. If you have a
cat, make sure that it has a bell on it's collar.
Many Australian birds, such as Galahs, use hollow limbs for nesting. If the trees in your garden have hollow limbs, which are
potentially dangerous, you can cut the limb to a smaller size then secure it to the tree with the hollow end pointing outwards so
that the bird can fly into it.
Often you may find blue tongue lizards and smaller skinks in your garden. These lizards like to live under rock crevices or among
logs and grass. They are not venomous and rather than biting they rely on bluff to scare predators away. You are lucky to have
these lizards in your backyard as they eat snails and slugs which may be damaging your vegetable patch or garden plants.
As a resident of Ryde, you are fortunate to be living in an area which contains some significant bushland areas and wildlife
corridors. By landscaping your garden with local native plants you will be helping our wildlife by providing a small habitat which is
an extension of the bushland corridor.
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