Attracting Birds to Ballarat Gardens

A well designed garden will be a haven for many local birds if a few principles are considered.

Indigenous plants are adapted to the prevailing environmental conditions and require less maintenance and watering. If living near bushland care should be taken to avoid plants which would spread and become environmental weeds.

The basic requirements of birds are water, food and shelter. Clean water should be provided in shallow containers situated near suitable perching sites. Different species of birds require different food sources. A wider range of birds will be attracted if a variety of plants supplying nectar, pollen, berries, seed and insects are selected. Plants also provide shelter in dense vegetation, hollows and perching places. Mulched areas supply insect and other invertebrate food for birds.

Domestic pets can disturb or prey upon native birds. Cats should be kept indoors or in

a cat run and an area of the yard should be kept free from dogs.

Some plants suitable for Ballarat area gardens are listed in the table below.

Species / Common Name / Supply
Trees
Acacia dealbata / Silver Wattle / Seeds, Insects
Acacia mearnsii / Black Wattle / Seeds, Insects
Allocasuarina verticillata / Drooping Sheoak / Seeds
Banksia marginata / Silver Banksia / Nectar
Eucalyptus leucoxylon / Yellow Gum / Seeds, Nectar
Shrubs
Acacia acinacea / Gold-dust Wattle / Seeds, Insects
Acacia paradoxa / Hedge Wattle / Shelter
Acacia verticillata / Prickly Moses / Shelter
Bursaria spinosa / Sweet Bursaria / Insects
Callistemon sieberi / River Bottlebrush / Nectar
Coprosma quadrifida / Prickly Currant Bush / Berries, shelter
Correa reflexa / Common Correa / Nectar
Dodonaea viscosa / Wedge-leaf Hop-bush / Insects
Daviesia leptophylla / Narrow-leaf Bitter Pea / Insects
Epacris impressa / Common Heath / Nectar
Goodenia ovata / Hop Goodenia / shelter
Grevillea spp / Grevillea / Nectar
Hakea decurrens / Bushy Needlewood / Nectar, Shelter
Indigofera australis / Austral Indigo / Insects
Melicytus dentatus / Tree Violet / Shelter
Solanum laciniatum / Large Kangaroo-apple / Berries, Shelter
Herbs and Grasses
Anigozanthos spp / Kangaroo Paw / Nectar
Dianella admixta / Black-anther Flax-lily / Berries
Lomandra longifolia / Spiny-headed Mat-rush / Seeds
Poa labillardierei / Common Tussock Grass / Seeds, Insects
Rytidosperma spp / Wallaby Grass / Seeds, Insects
Themeda triandra / Kangaroo Grass / Seeds, Insects
Xanthorrhoea spp / Grass-tree / Nectar

Further information is available on the:

BirdLife Austalia website: Search for “Attracting Birds to your Garden”

BirdLife Ballarat: email