Native Plants That Feed Our Birds

Savannnah Sparrow | Sharon Wada

by Van Bobbit, Birds Connect Seattle Member

If you are interested in attracting more wildlife and birds to your yard or patio, there are many reasons to use native plants. For example, native plants are adapted to our climate of wet winters and dry summers (WNPS). But another reason is that native plants support more wildlife species than non-native plants. (WDFW) This includes birds. A study in Seattle’s Washington Park Arboretum looked at the number of bird species found in groves of native conifers versus groves of non-native conifers. More bird species were found in the native conifers, and several native bird species were recorded only on the native conifer species. The authors’ conclusion was: “Conserving our native vegetation is one of the best lines of defense in protecting our native wildlife. Birds can tell the difference.” (Boersma & Almasi).  

For bird lovers, one of the most obvious reasons to select native plants is because they provide excellent food sources for wildlife. Many native plants produce berries, seeds, nectar, or foliage that local birds recognize and can digest. Some examples include the Anna’s Hummingbird’s love for the red flowering current nectar, and American Robin snacking on berry clusters from the serviceberry. 

Another important food source for many birds is insects. For instance, over 90% of birds feed insects to their young during nesting season (American Bird Conservancy). Wrens, tits, and warblers rely on insects as their primary food source for half the year. Non-native plants often don’t support the same variety and types of insects that birds feed upon. 

What native plants can you plant in your garden to provide food for birds? Below is a list of some native plants that provide food for birds. 

Evergreen Huckleberry, Ocean Spray, Vine Maple | Canva

1. Vine maple (Acer circinatum) 
   • Produces seeds
   • Attracts nuthatches, grosbeaks, and chickadees
2. Serviceberry, saskatoon (Amelanchier alnifolia) 
   • Produces fruit in early summer
   • Attracts numerous bird species
3. Pacific dogwood (Cornus nuttallii) 
   • Produces red fruit clusters
   • Attracts thrushes and woodpeckers
4. Ocean-spray (Holodiscus discolor)
   • Produces white flowers and shelter
   • Attracts hummingbirds and other pollinators
5. Orange honeysuckle (Lonicera ciliosa) 
   • Produces trumpet-shaped flowers and red fruit
   • Attracts hummingbirds for the flowers, and other birds for the fruit
6. Lewis’ mock orange (Philadelphus lewisii) 
   • Produces flowers and seeds
   • Attracts chickadees, wrens, sparrows, waxwings, crows, and jays 
7. Pacific ninebark (Physocarpus capitatus)
   • Provides seeds, berries, shelter, and nesting material
   • Attracts nuthatches, waxwings, sparrows, chickadees, crows, and jays  
8. Oregon white oak (Quercus garryana) 
   • Produces acorns
   • Attracts California Quail 
9. Red-flowering current (Ribes sanguineum)
   • Produces flowers and berries
   • Attracts hummingbirds and other birds for berries
10. Evergreen huckleberry (Vaccinium ovatum)
    • Produces berries
    • Attracts a variety of birds (and humans) for the berries 

Feeding birds by using native plants in a yard or on a balcony can be a rewarding way to observe a greater number and variety of bird species. And best of all, you get to enjoy the beauty of the plant, shrub, or tree as well.  

Western Tananger | Sharon Wada

Additional information and references: 

• “Songbird Diets”, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, https://wdfw.wa.gov/species-habitats/living/habitat-at-home/songbird-habitats – songbird-plants 
• “Pacific Northwest Trees, Shrubs, Herbs and Perennials and the Birds that Use Them,”  Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, https://wdfw.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2023-09/native-plants-birds.pdf 
• “Pacific Northwest Plants and the Birds that Use Them.” https://www.wnps.org/content/documents/plants/gardening/pnw-birds-plants-charts.pdf 
• Boersma, P.D. and K.N. Almasi. 1991. Can birds tell the difference between native and introduced conifers in the Arboretum? Washington Park Arboretum Bulletin 54: 3, 7-9. 
• American Bird Conservancy https://abcbirds.org/whats-good-for-insects-is-good-for-the-birds/
• “Gardening with Natives” https://www.wnps.org/native-gardening 
• “Biodiversity in WA” https://wdfw.wa.gov/species-habitats/biodiversity#help