Birds in particular need three layers of habitat. Trees provide a haunt and lookout for prey and danger. Lorikeets, honeyeaters, and parrots often feed in shrubs and take to trees when disturbed. Nectar producing shrubs such as Grevillea, Banksia and Callistemon are the favourites of many birds. Smaller birds such as wrens and finches forage in grassy clearings and seek refuge in dense or prickly shrubs when threatened.
A copse of trees, a thicket of dense prickly and nectar producing shrubs and several sweeps of grasses are required. Place a birdbath or pond near to your dense thicket of shrubs and trees so birds can escape to a safe refuge.
(Urquhart, 1999 & Flora for Fauna, Guide 1.2; See also Grant, pp. 58-65)
Species ideas:
- Acacia longifolia Sydney Golden Wattle
- Acacia myrtifolia Myrtle Wattle, Red-stemmed Wattle
- Acacia ulicifolia Prickly Moses
- Angophora costata Smooth-barked Apple
- Babingtonia plurifolia (syn. Baeckea virgata) Heath Myrtle
- Banksia integrifolia Coastal Banksia
- Banksia spinulosa var. collina Hair-pin Banksia
- Bursaria spinosa Blackthorn
- Callistemon citrinus Red Bottlebrush, Crimson Bottlebrush
- Callistemon linearis Narrow-leaved Bottlebrush
- Callistemon salignus Willow Bottlebrush
- Casuarina cunninghamiana River She-oak
- Ceratopetalum gummiferum New South Wales Christmas Bush
- Correa reflexa Native Fuchsia
- Corymbia maculata Spotted Gum
- Daviesia ulicifolia Gorse Bitter Pea
- Eucalyptus spp. Gum Trees (for larger gardens)
- Grevillea montana Old Maitland Grevillea
- Grevillea sericea Pink Spider Flower
- Hakea sericea Silky Needle-bush
- Hymenosporum flavum Native Frangipani
- Isopogan anemonifolius Drumsticks, Broad-leaf Drumstick
- Lambertia formosa Mountain Devils
- Leptospermum laevigatum Coastal Teatree
- Leptospermum polygalifolium Lemon-scented Teatree, Yellow Teatree
- Melaleuca linariifolia Snow In Summer
- Melaleuca quinquenervia Broad-leaved Paperbark
- Melaleuca styphelioides Prickly-leaved Paperbark
- Melaleuca thymifolia Thyme Honeymyrtle
- Prostanthera incana Velvet Mint-bush
- Pultenaea villosa Hairy Bush Pea
- Viminaria juncea Native Broom, Golden Spray
A few local climbers, clumps & groundcovers to attract birds:
- Billardeira scandens Apple-berry
- Blandfordia grandiflora Christmas Bells
- Dianella caerulea Blue Flax Lily
- Gahnia clarkei Tall Saw sedge
- Hibbertia scandens Climbing Golden Guinea Flower
- Lomandra longifolia Spiny-headed Mat Rush
Some common local grasses to attract birds:
- Austrodanthonia fulva Wallaby Grass
- Dichelachne micrantha Shorthair Plume Grass
- Echinopogon caespitosus Hedgehog Grass
- Microlaena stipoides Weeping Grass
- Pennisetum alopecuroides Swamp Foxtail Grass
- Poa affinis Coastal Tussock Grass
- Poa labillardieri Tussock Grass
- Themeda australis Kangaroo Grass
For more information on creating native gardens to attract birds refer to the following:
- Flora for Fauna Learning Guides, (2000?), Nursery & Garden Industry Australia (NGIA), Epping, NSW; www.floraforfauna.com.au
- Paul Urquhart, (1999), The New Native Garden: Designing with Australian Plants, New Holland Publishers, Sydney, NSW
- Peter Grant, (2003), Habitat Garden: attracting wildlife to your garden, ABC Books, Sydney, NSW