As far as I know, having more birds around won’t harm the plants in any way. On the contrary, having birds in your garden can offer various benefits. One of the biggest ones is pest control.
Many birds will hunt and eat insects, and while the bird feeder will give them an easy source of food, birds will still be willing to hunt if they spot any prey near the feeder. This means that having more birds stopping by can be a cheap and environmentally friendly way to keep pests out of your garden.
Keep in mind that different birds prefer different types of birdseed. So if you have a specific kind of pest that’s been a plight in your garden, you can attract birds who are better at hunting that type of insect by putting out the correct type of bird feed. It can take a little bit of research, but once you set everything up, it becomes just a matter of replenishing the bird feeder from time to time. After that, the birds will take care of the rest.
It’s not just insects, either. Some bird species like owls, kestrels, and hawks can even help hunt rodents and snakes. But, of course, these larger birds will also eat smaller birds, so make sure you know what you’re doing before intentionally attracting them. For example, there are guides online on attracting hawks and how to keep them away.
Many bird species are also pollinators, with the hummingbird being a prevalent example. This means they are great for the health of your plants and flowers, just like bees, butterflies, and other types of pollinators. Consider buying one of the best hummingbird feeders — this guide is an excellent place to start looking when trying to attract more of this helpful type of bird to your garden.