Bird-attracting plants
Birds use a range of plants for different reasons, such as shelter, nesting material and food. Find out which plants provide these resources. If you live in Sydney, you will find our Plant lists by local government area particularly useful.
Prickly plants: shelter
A garden with dense plantings (thickets), particularly of plants with dense, prickly foliage, will be more likely to attract and provide habitat for small birds. One of the best groups of plants for this role is the hakeas, but other prickly species are also available.
The hakeas are particularly suitable. Some species that are great for the Sydney area include:
- Silky hakea Hakea sericea
- Hakea propinqua
- Hakea teretifolia
- Hakea gibbosa
Other prickly plants that work well in the garden include:
- Kangaroo Thorn, Acacia paradoxa
- Bursaria spinosa
- Banksia ericifolia
- Mountain Devil, Lambertia formosa
Grevilleas: nectar, insects and shelter
Grevilleas are a large, diverse group and many different cultivars and hybrids have been developed. Many of the hybrid grevilleas have large, showy flowers that hang outside the plant and are rich in nectar. These are promoted as being excellent for attracting honeyeaters to the garden. This is true, but they do not provide shelter for smaller birds, but rather encourage the larger, more aggressive honeyeaters such as Noisy Miners. If you wish to attract a range of species including some of the smaller honeyeaters then it is better to plant species that produce less nectar and which also provide cover. This does not mean avoiding the showy species altogether; just use fewer of them and mix them with other dense plantings which provide shelter.
Grevilleas that are suitable include the native, non-hybridised varieties particularly those that have flowers inside the plant where they afford protection. Grevilleas with yellow or greenish flowers are among the best for attracting the smaller species of honeyeaters. These include:
- G. mucronulata
- G. shiressii
- G. arenaria
Other grevilleas (indigenous to the greater Sydney region) include:
- G. buxifolia
- G. linearifolia
- G. sericia
G. rosmariniflora is also excellent because many of its flowers are held inside the shrub.
Banksias: nectar and shelter
Banksias produce lots of nectar and they also have many inflorescences (flowers) inside the shrub, helping to shelter birds while they feed. In addition, if you observe banksias in the bush you will notice that they are usually part of a thicket of other plant species that afford protection to the birds. The flowers also attract insects.
Acacias: seeds, insects and shelter
Acacias are commonly known as wattles. Many of the wattles provide excellent cover for birds as well as providing food in the form of seeds or insects. Some wattles grow quickly into small to medium sized trees, but there are several others that grow between 3 m - 5 m and others that grow to only a small size.
- Acacia myrtifolia
- Acacia linifolia
Baeckeas: shelter, insects, nesting materials and nesting sites
Baeckeas are sometimes known as 'heath myrtles'. Suitable species include:
- Baeckea linifolia
Callistemons: shelter, insects, nesting materials
Callistemons are commonly known as bottlebrushes. Suitable species include:
- Callistemon citrinus
Correas: nectar
Correas typically have bell-shaped flowers and attract honeyeaters and other nectar-feeders. Suitable species include:
- Correa reflexa
- Correa alba
Leptospermums: shelter, insects, nesting materials
Leptospermums are commonly known as tea trees. Suitable species include:
- Leptospermum squarrosum
- Leptospermum polygalifolium
Melaleucas: shelter, insects,nesting sites, nesting materials.
Melaleucas are commonly known as 'honey myrtles'. Suitable species include:
- Melaleuca linariifolia
Grasses, reeds & sedges: seeds, nesting material
Suitable species include:
- Tussock Grass, Poa labillardieri
- Kangaroo Grass, Themeda australis
- Tall Spear Grass, Stipa pubescens
Plant lists for the Sydney region
Find out which plants are most suitable to grow in your garden using our plant lists organised by Sydney local government area Each list includes information such as soil type, shade tolerance, plant dimensions and the type/s of resources each plant may provide for birds. Some local councils and community groups in Sydney also have lists of fauna-friendly local native plants on their websites.