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Last updated: June 28, 2023
A guide with nine benefits of having one or more birdhouses in the backyard or garden and how they are good for the environment.
If you were thinking of installing a birdhouse in your backyard to help birds find shelter, or perhaps for decoration purposes, you’ve come to the right place.
In this article, I am going to explain how there are great benefits in having a birdhouse, not only for birds but also for your backyard as a whole.
Many of these benefits are environment-related, which makes having one or more birdhouses in the backyard even more rewarding.
9 Birdhouse Benefits
In no particular order, here are nine good reasons to install a birdhouse in your backyard.
1. Pest Control
Most birds eat insects, so if you have birds visiting, or living in, your backyard, they will inevitably feed on insects, such as worms, beetles, flies, and mosquitoes.
By doing so, birds can help keep the insect population in your backyard at more desired levels and prevent infestations from happening.
2. Weed Control
Many birds also like to feed on plant seeds, and by doing so, birds can suppress the growth of unwanted weeds.
And since nobody likes weeds in their gardens or backyards, let alone removing weeds, you may as well invite birds to help you with this.
3. Bird Pollination
Bird pollination is also called ornithophily, which means the pollination of flowering plants by birds.
This actually came as a bit of a surprise for me because I always associated pollination with bees. But apparently, some birds can do this, such as hummingbirds and sunbirds, to name a few.
4. Seed Dispersal
Similar to bird pollination, birds can also assist with seed dispersal, a process where seeds from plants are transported to new locations.
Plants themselves can’t move, so in order to spread their seeds, they require the assistance of mother nature. Wind and water help with seed dispersal, but also animals, such as birds.
5. Soil Fertilization
As we all know, birds poop, and that’s a good thing! When you have one or more birdhouses in your backyard, the bird droppings can help to fertilize the soil in the surrounding area.
The other way that birds can help with soil fertilization is that they will walk around in the area where the birdhouse is.
By simply walking on the surface with their tiny claws and picking with their beaks, they help to loosen up the soil, making the soil more absorbent.
6. Shelter
A birdhouse offers a safe way for birds to find shelter and protect themselves against the elements and predators. They are called nesting boxes for a good reason.
The ever-growing human population has a significant impact on global biodiversity. On a smaller scale, in many suburban areas, many animal species are simply running out of space to live and prosper.
The same applies to birds, and by installing birdhouses, we can make the lives of birds so much easier by simply offering them shelter.
7. Breeding
Ultimately, the purpose of a birdhouse or a bird’s nest is for birds to be able to breed. How good is it that we can help with this by simply having one or more birdhouses in our backyards?
Ever heard of the Bluebird Trail? This project started in the 1970s to promote the conservation of Western Bluebirds through fieldwork and studies. Hundreds of bluebird nest boxes were placed to assist with this.
Today, a bluebird trail is more of a common term used for having a series of nestboxes to support bird conservation by offering safe places for them to breed.
8. Backyard Decoration
There are so many different types of birdhouses out there, some plain and simple and others colorful with all sorts of design features.
But whether you go for a basic DIY or a colorful designer birdhouse, it is going to be an excellent decoration piece for the backyard, with the increase in soothing bird sounds as a welcome bonus.
We have listed a birdhouse as one of our favorite backyard decor ideas that are very easy to implement. Check out that list for more decoration options.
9. Stress Relief
Listening to birds chirping and singing, or otherwise just watching them, is a highly effective way to find some everyday stress relief.
You can either sit back and focus on the birds and the surrounding environment, or you can read a book, study, or work in your backyard, while the birds around you go about their lives.
Spending time outdoors is a wonderful way to relax, and the presence of birds in your garden or the park helps with that, often without realizing it.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully this guide has motivated you to put a birdhouse in your backyard. They do add value in so many different ways, and if they can also benefit the environment, then that’s an extra incentive to go ahead and buy or build a birdhouse.
Now, putting a birdhouse in the backyard is one thing. The next step is to actually get birds to like their potential new home, which is not as easy as it may sound.
Read my article about ways to make a birdhouse more attractive to birds so that you will end up with birds happily and safely nesting in your very own backyard.
