Landscape Ideas for a Bird Sanctuary

Large Deciduous Trees

• Hackberry (Celtis occidentalis) is a versatile tree for a bird sanctuary, providing shelter and food; it generates edible fruits through its flowers. Hackberry grows to 60 feet in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 2 through 9. Hackberry tolerates many types of soil conditions and is an option for urban landscapers. The river birch (Betula nigra) is also an attractive possibility for a bird sanctuary, with exfoliating foliage of many colors. This birch grows to 70 feet in warm climates, giving birds such as jays and finches an opportunity to gobble up buds, seeds and bugs on its many leaves.

Small Ornamental Trees

• Cardinals, catbirds and goldfinches flock to the downy serviceberry (Amelanchier arborea) -- a small ornamental species growing between 15 and 25 feet. Appropriate for USDA zones 4 through 9, this tree generates edible berries by early summer, when many birds busily raise their young. Clusters of white flowers emerge on downy serviceberry in early spring prior to the leaves appearing. European mountain ash (Sorbus aucuparia) features dark green compound leaves, showy flowers and clusters of orange-reddish fruits that ripen by September. Birds partake of these fruits, typically devouring them all well before winter arrives.

Needled Evergreens

• Bestowing birds with potential shelter from bad weather and predators, as well as presenting them with nesting sites, helps draw them to your landscape. Evergreen trees such as the Norway spruce work well in this regard, growing to 60 feet in cultivation between USDA zones 2 through 7. The seeds within the cones of this needled evergreen are edible for birds like the crossbill and nuthatch. Surround your patio or create windbreaks with eastern arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis), a tree available in multiple cultivars of different sizes. Arborvitae is a native of the Northeast, supplying birds with a chance to escape cold winter winds and affording them somewhere to construct their nests.

Shrubs

• Flickers and tanagers are among the many kinds of birds that use the gray dogwood (Cornus racemosa) as a shelter and a food source. This large shrub, growing to 15 feet tall, produces white fruits from July into September, with the berries lasting into winter for overwintering birds such as the cardinal. Staghorn sumac (Rhus typhinia) is a tall shrub that you can create mass plantings with. Its best features are its brilliant fall colors and clusters of red berries. Robins and sparrows will eat these berries through the winter months. Use these shrubs in USDA zones 4 through 8.