BFI Guide to Landscaping for Birds

Residential Planting Strategies for Iowa Bird Friendly Neighborhoods and Farmsteads

Welcome to our interactive birds and native plants database...

Birds and native plants have a symbiotic relationship. Birds depend on plants either directly for food or to attract insects for their sustenance. Plants also provide protection from predators and nesting sites for many species. Plants depend on birds to help them pollinate and to distribute their seeds. This tool allows you to search for specific plants that will attract a species or family of birds or conversely search for the birds that your plant attracts.

Naturally other factors enter into the attractiveness of your landscaping to our birds. A young sapling that is not very useful to a cavity nester today may become home to an Eastern Screech-Owl in time. A water feature added to your garden of shrubs and forbs may be just the trick to attract many more species. A species that prefers open areas is less likely to come to a heavily wooded back yard. This guide is intended to simply give you a start in planning for a bird friendly habitat.

Select your approach and let's get started!