Biodiversity - Get Involved
Attracting wildlife to your garden
Kookaburras
The best way to encourage native animals to visit and make a home in your garden is to plant native trees, shrubs and grasses, which attract birds, insects and mammals. Your local council or bush regenerator group should be able to advise you when choosing plants suitable for your area.
Lorikeets and honeyeaters are nectar-feeders, so they like bottlebrush, banksias and grevilleas. These plants will also attract nectar-eating butterflies and possums.
Other birds, such as finches, rosellas and parrots, eat seed grasses, wattles, casuarinas and eucalypts. These plants will also attract native caterpillars, which in turn will attract moths and butterflies. Flying foxes and possums also like fruit-bearing plants.
Attract insects to your garden and you’ll encourage birds like pardalotes. Most flowering plants will attract insects – eucalypts are a good choice, as are Kunzea and myrtles.
Kookaburras and butcherbirds will be attracted to smaller lizards, skinks and larger insects.
Many birds and mammals also need nesting areas such as tree hollows. If you don't have large trees in your garden with natural hollows, you could provide nest boxes. They will be attractive homes for owls, parrots, the smaller bats and possums.
Don’t forget the smaller bird species, like wrens will need protection from larger birds and cats. Planting dense, spiky shrubs, such as Hakea and banksias is the perfect shelter for wrens and will provide protection for other animals too.
A well-planned native garden, with lots of red and yellow flowers, can attract an amazing array of animals. Just remember if you have a cat, it will have to be kept indoors. And water (in a bird bath) will be an essential element especially for birds. (Source: Australian Museum.)
Lorikeets and honeyeaters are nectar-feeders, so they like bottlebrush, banksias and grevilleas. These plants will also attract nectar-eating butterflies and possums.
Other birds, such as finches, rosellas and parrots, eat seed grasses, wattles, casuarinas and eucalypts. These plants will also attract native caterpillars, which in turn will attract moths and butterflies. Flying foxes and possums also like fruit-bearing plants.
Attract insects to your garden and you’ll encourage birds like pardalotes. Most flowering plants will attract insects – eucalypts are a good choice, as are Kunzea and myrtles.
Kookaburras and butcherbirds will be attracted to smaller lizards, skinks and larger insects.
Many birds and mammals also need nesting areas such as tree hollows. If you don't have large trees in your garden with natural hollows, you could provide nest boxes. They will be attractive homes for owls, parrots, the smaller bats and possums.
Don’t forget the smaller bird species, like wrens will need protection from larger birds and cats. Planting dense, spiky shrubs, such as Hakea and banksias is the perfect shelter for wrens and will provide protection for other animals too.
A well-planned native garden, with lots of red and yellow flowers, can attract an amazing array of animals. Just remember if you have a cat, it will have to be kept indoors. And water (in a bird bath) will be an essential element especially for birds. (Source: Australian Museum.)