How to Attract Native NZ Birds to Your Garden: A Practical Guide for Gardeners and Landscape Designers

Attracting native birds to your garden is not only a delightful way to connect with nature but also beneficial for maintaining the ecological balance. If you’re a New Zealand gardener or landscape designer keen to welcome more feathered visitors, this guide offers practical advice on food sources, habitat types, and other factors that will make your garden irresistible to native birds.

Tui bird hanging out on a phormium flower stalk. https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/tui-bird-feeding-on-new-zealand-2256719719

Why Attract Native Birds?

Creating a bird-friendly garden does more than just beautify your outdoor space. It supports local wildlife, aids in pollination, and helps control insect pest populations. Moreover, watching birds can be a relaxing and educational pastime, and a therapeutic activity for children and adults alike.

Creating a Bird-Friendly Garden

Let’s go over what you need to provide for birds in order to attract them, and then we’ll discuss 10 birds that you may wish to attract and what each of their needs are.

Food Sources

Different birds have varying dietary needs, so planting a diverse array of native flora will cater to a wide range of species. Nectar feeders like tui and bellbirds are attracted to plants such as metrosideros, flax and kowhai. Fruiting plants like puriri and karaka will invite kereru, while insectivorous birds like the fantail will appreciate gardens rich with dense shrubs that attract insects. Keep in mind that while native plants are amazing, exotic plants can provide excellent food sources as well. Especially in urban areas where the ecology and conditions have drastically changed due to European settlement.

Habitat Types

Providing varied habitats within your garden encourages different bird species to settle. Dense bushes and trees offer shelter and nesting sites, while open areas allow for foraging. Water sources, such as bird baths or ponds, are essential for hydration and bathing.

Minimal Disturbance

Most birds thrive in tranquil environments. Minimise the use of pesticides to ensure a healthy insect population for insectivorous birds. As well as this, maintaining a quiet and undisturbed garden area will make it more inviting.

Seasonal Planting

Ensuring that your garden has plants that flower and fruit at different times of the year provides a continuous source of food. This diversity across seasons keeps birds coming back throughout all seasons, ensuring they have what they need year-round.

Nesting Materials

Birds need materials like twigs, leaves, moss, and grass to build their nests. Providing these natural materials in your garden can encourage birds to settle and breed. Preserve tree hollows and dead wood where possible as this is a critical habitat for many birds. Additionally, installing birdhouses or nesting boxes tailored to the specific needs of different bird species can offer safe nesting sites. For example, smaller entrance holes can help protect smaller birds from predators.

Water Features

Birds need water for drinking and bathing. A simple bird bath can attract birds, but ensure it is shallow and cleaned regularly to prevent disease. Empty the water, rinse, and refill every few days to prevent the spread of diseases. If space allows, consider adding a pond or a small stream, as moving water, in particular, can be very attractive to birds.

Safe Environment

Protecting birds from predators is crucial, because NZ native birds have not adapted to European predatory animals. Keep pets, especially cats, away from bird-rich areas. Installing bird feeders on poles equipped with predator guards can also help, especially when tree flowers, seeds and fruits are scarce. If possible, eradicate foreign pests such as feral cats and possums. Additionally, be mindful of glass or other reflective materials that might confuse birds and cause collisions.

Piwakawaka showing off their fan tail. https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/tui-bird-feeding-on-new-zealand-2256719719

Chemical-Free Gardening

Using organic gardening practices avoids harmful chemicals that can poison birds or reduce the insect population they feed on. This helps provide a healthier environment for both the birds and the rest of the ecosystem in your garden that helps to support birds.

Accessibility and Visibility: Arranging plants in layers (ground cover, shrubs, climbers and trees) provides various levels of access and perching options for birds. Provide some open spaces with perches where birds can spot predators while still feeling safe.

Specialised Feeders: Different bird species have different feeding habits. Using a variety of feeders, such as tube feeders, platform feeders, and suet feeders, can attract a range of birds if you wish to supplement the food provided by your plants. Keep feeders clean and well-stocked to maintain a healthy feeding environment and prevent the spread of disease.

Community Involvement: Participating in local bird monitoring programs helps keep track of the species visiting your local area. This data can inform decisions about what changes or additions to make in your own garden as well as for other bird-lovers in their own gardens. Encouraging neighbours to create bird-friendly spaces as well can increase the overall habitat available to birds, providing wildlife corridors for birds to move between.

Miromiro bird (also known as Toitoi) eating an insect. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:A_Toitoi_in_the_forest.jpg

Common Native NZ Birds to Attract

Tui (Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae)

   •     Food Sources: Nectar, fruit, and insects.

   •     Plants: kowhai, flax, pohutukawa, rewarewa.

   •     Habitat: Native forests, urban parks, and gardens.

Kereru (Wood Pigeon) (Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae)

   •     Food Sources: Fruit, leaves, and flowers.

   •     Plants: puriri, karaka, miro, tawa.

   •     Habitat: Native forests, urban parks, and gardens with large trees.

Bellbird (Korimako) (Anthornis melanura)

   •     Food Sources: Nectar, fruit, and insects.

   •     Plants: flax, kowhai, fuchsia, rewarewa.

   •     Habitat: Forested areas with flowering plants.

Fantail (Piwakawaka) (Rhipidura fuliginosa)

   •     Food Sources: Insects.

   •     Plants: Dense shrubs and trees that harbour insects.

   •     Habitat: Mixed vegetation with plenty of insects.

Silvereye (Waxeye) (Zosterops lateralis)

   •     Food Sources: Fruit, nectar, and insects.

   •     Plants: coprosma, kowhai, flax.

   •     Habitat: Urban gardens, parks, and edges of forests.

Grey Warbler (Riroriro) (Gerygone igata)

   •     Food Sources: Insects and spiders.

   •     Plants: Dense shrubs and small trees.

   •     Habitat: Bushy areas and gardens with ample insect life.

Kingfisher (Kotare) (Todiramphus sanctus)

   •     Food Sources: Small fish, insects, and small reptiles.

   •     Plants: Trees near water bodies.

   •     Habitat: Coastal areas, wetlands, gardens near water sources.

New Zealand Pigeon (Kereru) (Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae)

   •     Food Sources: Fruit and leaves.

   •     Plants: miro, tawa, nikau palm.

   •     Habitat: Mature forests with fruit-bearing trees.

Tomtit (Miromiro) (Petroica macrocephala)

   •     Food Sources: Insects and spiders.

   •     Plants: Dense undergrowth and forest floor vegetation.

   •     Habitat: Native forests and well-vegetated gardens.

Rifleman (Titipounamu) (Acanthisitta chloris)

   •     Food Sources: Insects and spiders.

   •     Plants: Native shrubs and trees.

   •     Habitat: Forests and garden areas with thick vegetation.

This native NZ plant cultivar features beautiful red flowers that nectivorous birds and insects love. It also provides habitat with its branches and features beautiful blue, inky stems that are more pronounced in cooler climates. Velvet Sky™ Metrosideros collina  ‘MB01’ PBR. https://www.ozbreed.com.au/plant-ranges/hardy-exotic-range/velvet-sky-metrosideros/

Conclusion

By thoughtfully incorporating diverse native plants, creating varied habitats, and ensuring minimal disturbance, New Zealand gardeners can successfully attract a plethora of native birds to their gardens. Not only does this enrich your outdoor space, but it also contributes to the conservation of these beautiful species.

For further information on specific plant species and additional tips, visit resources such as Forest and Bird, DOC NZ Conservation, and Tui Garden.