7 Garden Birds to Watch Out For This Spring

Your garden or small holding’s birds are busy during the spring months. Preparing themselves for their breeding season, they’re a sign that warmer weather is on its way.

However, some birds will try to:

• Steal berries
• Destroy flowers
• Wreak havoc on new lawns
• Attack other species or humans.

Whilst our high-quality netting helps to keep common garden pests at bay, it will pay to watch out for these seven feathered visitors this spring.

Wood pigeons

Although their breeding season extends beyond spring, wood pigeons will be among the hungry guests at this time of year. In fact, the plant and seed experts of Thompson and Morgan note that “wood pigeons and collared doves cause the most damage to edible crops”. We’re sure that you’d much rather have the fresh grown produce on your plate than in their bellies.

Jays

These birds will devour plants such as runner beans and peas. Belonging to the crow family, they could see your plans for self-sufficiency ruined. Jays will happily steal and consume these types of foods which can be frustrating and reduce your overall yield.

Sparrows

A familiar sight, these birds are anything but fussy eaters. Over 830 types of food are known to have been consumed by house sparrows, with popular yellow spring flowers like daffodils and crocuses among their favourites. Any garden nuts and sunflower seeds will also be vulnerable to attack, along with the seeds on your freshly sown spring lawn.

Magpies

It’s not just gold and shiny objects that attract these distinctive-looking birds. Your garden lawn can also become victim as they peck the ground. They do this to find grubs and other insects within the soil, returning often as they nest and raise their young. This creates holes in your turfed or seeded lawn during springtime.

Finches

While these friendly birds may sound idyllic, they include flower heads and petals on their spring menu. Many popular spring blooms are attractive to finches, with petals and leaves being picked and shredded. It won’t be long until your newly planted flowers are looking a little worse for wear.

Crows

These exceptionally smart birds can cause chaos and damage to your outside spaces. Indeed, the  University of California-Berkeley and the University of Washington discovered that crows remember human faces for several years. While this helps them to survive and adapt in the wild, it could cause them to react negatively on seeing those remembered for any wrongdoings.

Starlings

Not only will these birds arrive in large numbers, they can also become aggressive towards other garden residents. Killing or evicting other birds from their nest is a common behaviour for starlings, who will also stop small native species from feeding at your garden bird table. Also a potential danger to you and your family, they have attacked humans that got too close to their nests.

Beware the Birds

These seven types of birds can inflict damage to plants, fruit bushes, lawns, and even people revisiting their gardens during spring. As a well-respected British netting manufacturer, our team are just a phone call away and will advise you on the best solutions to protect your plants or lawn. Contact Renco’s Lincolnshire office on +44 (0) 1469 575 804 to find the right product for you.