A hedge that’s a haven for birds

A hedge of firethorn, mahonia and spindle carries cream blossom, then red, orange and yellow berries that birds pick over through the whole winter. Keep the growth dense and thorny and the shelter keeps cats and birds of prey out; in return you get pest control, since one song thrush eats up to 10,000 larvae and snails.

Miles of hedges along fields disappeared from our countryside when machines took over farming.

These hedges used to be a home for birds and source of food. Today, decades later, the consequences are getting back at us: with less helpful birds around, pests and insects become uncontrollable.

1. Clear benefits of bird hedges

For birds

• Growing plants that provide food for birds is often much more helpful than giving them seeds and seed cakes directly. Feeders and seed cakes have one major drawback: they make birds dependent on them, and you yourself are locked into having to top them up until spring and summer are back. During long, harsh winters, this is a valuable supplement, though!

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  Also, hedges that produce berries attract a great many insects when they bloom: this is also a new source of food for birds.

• Foreign species often have more nectar than local ones, which is appealing to many of our own birds. However, note that double-flowered hybrids should be avoided: they’re often sterile and won’t bear fruit.
• Many birds take shelter in hedges, all the more so when they’re dense and thorny, as Pyracantha, barberry (Berberis), Mahonia and blackthorn can be. This protective shelter keeps predators away, birds of prey of course, but more importantly, cats. Some even choose thorny shrubs over tall trees for that very reason!

For people

• Birds, even though some are considered pests by some gardeners, are generally excellent insect pest control. A single song thrush can eat up to 10,000 larvae (caterpillars, codling moths), flies, snails and more just during the mating and reproduction season.
• Birds that discover that your garden is a food haven during winter will also choose to nest in the area – flying left and right picking pests off your flowers and vegetables as they raise their broods!
• Beneficial insects like ladybug, hoverfly, lacewing come look for pollen and reproduce on the these shrubs. They help control pest populations, especially aphids and mites.

Bird hedge shrubs at a glance

The shrubs described further down each feed and shelter different birds, and they do not all flower or fruit at the same time. Use this table to spread the harvest across the seasons before you settle on a planting list.

Mixing several of these is the point: the more varied the hedge, the longer the feeding season.

2. How to select your hedge shrubs?

The goal of such hedges is to have as much diversity as can be, so that food is available over a long span of time, ideally ranging from August to the beginning of March. Some berries are known to attract specific bird species:

• amelanchier attracts robins, whitethroats, bullfinches and starlings;
• barberry (Berberis) tends to appeal to thrush, flycatchers, tits and nuthatches.

This illustrates how important it is to have different types of shrubs. As should be when planting anything, check that the species you select are compatible with your soil type: for instance, blueberry must have acidic soil. Luckily, most available hedge shrubs can make do with any kind of soil, except perhaps those areas where chalk and lime is particularly active.

Ideally, you’d let the hedge grow wild, pairing tree-like shrubs with shorter, bushy ones: this will give birds different levels of shrubbery to roost and nest in. In a city, you won’t have as many option: best find a few compact, short-growing species or control growth with regular pruning.

Remember to keep a strip of wild grasses along the base, this hinders predators.

3. Shrubs that birds like

European spindle (Euonymus europaeus)

This native-to-Europe species does well even in chalky soil. Its “bishop’s hat”-like fruits open into four bright coral-colored quarters, revealing orange seeds hidden inside.

E. alatus ‘Compactus’ is a shorter, stouter variety, (3 feet tall by 5 feet across) that has knobby growth along the branches.  Its carmine red fall colors are truly spectacular.

Spindle is where bullfinches, black-capped chickadees and long-tailed tits set up shop.

Firethorn (Pyracantha)

Pyracantha stands out thanks to its dense, shiny foliage and cream-colored blooming in April-May. Bees love foraging for pollen, and birds love the red, orange or yellow berries that appear over summer.

Birds get to feast on them during the entire winter. It does have a defensive role against intruders, thanks to its thorns (like barberry). Just train it along the side of the house to great heights, over 12 feet or 4 meters high.

• Read also: Growing firethorn

Wild privet (Ligustrum vulgare)

This small evergreen tree produces clusters of creamy-white flowers in May-June, replaced in time by just as many black berries that tits, hawfinches and greenfinches adore…

• Read also: Caring for privet

Mahonia

Ideal for shaded areas under trees, or wedged between other shrubs in a hedge for a bright, fragrant blooming during winter, Mahonia also does well as a standalone thanks to its shiny, holly-like leaves.

Its blue-gray berries (which are delicious in jam for us) are a favorite of birds.

• Read also: Mahonia care

Snowball viburnum (Viburnum opulus)

This European shrub unveils flat, white flower clusters in May-June. The three-lobed leaves take on beautiful hues in fall, and at the same time deep red clusters of berries appear (not edible). It appreciates cool soil.

Ah, one thing to know: the famous ‘Roseum’ cultivar won’t produce berries!

• Read: Care for snowball bush

Other excellent options:

Callicarpa, ivy, Skimmia, Cotoneaster, snowberry, elder, rowan, holly, hawthorn…

To learn more, read:

• Useful animals to have in the garden
• Attract birds to your garden

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