Bird food plant

Planning aids for professionals

A bird feeder is a hedge or wood that serves as a food source for birds. The greater the variety of trees, the greater the diversity of species. Plants provide birds with food: fruits, seeds and nectar. But birds also eat insects and other small animals that thrive in a healthy tree.

Plants provide birds with safe places to sleep, protection from predators and a place to raise their young. Plants also provide shade from the heat, protection from winter storms, and a dry spot when it rains.

Almost all woody fruits are eaten by some bird species, some very numerous such as Sambucus nigra or Sorbus aucuparia, others only by individual bird types such as Lonicera xylosteum.

However, the number of bird guests is not always the only selection criterion. They are often common species that occur everywhere and are not picky in their search for food.

“"Even woody plants that are only frequented by a few bird species are indispensable for the overall structure of the biological cycle."

Christian Rehder, woody specialist, Lorenz von Ehren tree nursery

Deciduous

Conifers

Alle Bilder von Knut Fleckstein.

Deciduous

Genus / species / variety	Viseted often	Thorns/prickles	Preferred for nests	Tree (B) Shrub(S)
Acer in Arten und Sorten	+		+	B/S
Alnus in Arten und Sorten	+			B
Amelanchier in Arten und Sorten	++			B/S
Aronia in Arten und Sorten	+			S
Berberis in Arten und Sorten	+	+	+	S
Betula in Arten und Sorten	+			B
Broussonetia papyrifera		++		B
Carpinus betulus			+	B/S
Chaenomeles in Arten und Sorten	+			S
Cornus in Arten und Sorten	+		+	S
Corylus in Arten und Sorten	+			S
Cotoneaster in Arten und Sorten	+			S
Crataegus in Arten und Sorten	+	+	+	B/S
Elaeagnus in Arten und Sorten	+	+		S
Euonymus in Arten und Sorten	+			S
Fagus sylvatica	+			B
Fagus sylvatica (geschnitten)			++	S
Hippophae rhamnoides	+	+	+	S
Ilex in Arten und Sorten		+	+	S
Ligustrum in Arten und Sorten	+		+	S

Genus / species / variety	Viseted often	Thorns/prickles	Preferred for nests	Tree (B) Shrub(S)
Lonicera in Arten und Sorten	+		+	S
Lycium barbarum	+	+
Mahonia in Arten und Sorten	+	+		S
Malus in Arten und Sorten	+			B/S
Morus in Arten und Sorten	+			B
Photinia villosa	+			S
Prunus in Arten und Sorten	+			B/S
Pyracantha Hybriden in Sorten	++	+	+	S
Quercus in Arten	+			B
Rhamnus in Arten	+	+		S
Ribes in Arten und Sorten	+	+	+	S
Robinia pseusoacacia		+		B
Rosa in Arten und Sorten	+	+	+	S
Rubus in Arten und Sorten	+	+	+	S
Sambucus in Arten und Sorten	++			S
Symphoricarpos in Arten und Sorten			+	S
Syringa vulgaris			+	S
Sorbus in Arten und Sorten	++			B
Tilia in Arten	+			S
Vaccinium in Arten	+			S
Virburnum in Arten und Sorten	+			S

Note: The plants listed here are very popular with numerous bird species. The thorny and dense branches, which provide shelter and nesting opportunities, also contribute to this. The information is based, among other things, on many years of observations in the Weihenstephan sighting garden.

Conifers

Genus / species / variety	Viseted often	Thorns/prickles	Preferred for nests	Tree (B) Shrub(S)
Abies in Arten	+		+	B
Cedrus in Arten und Sorten	+		+	B
Chamaecyparis in Arten und Sorten			+	B
Juniperus in Arten und Sorten	+		+	B
Larix in Arten	+		+	B
Picea in Arten und Sorten	+		+	B
Pinus in Arten und Sorten	+		+	B

Genus / species / variety	Viseted often	Thorns/prickles	bevorzugte Nistplätze	Tree (B) Shrub(S)
Pseudotsuga menziessi caesia			+	B
Taxus in Arten und Sorten	+		+	B
Taxus baccata - geschnitten			++	B
Thuja in Arten und Sorten			+	B
Tsuga in Arten	+		+	B

Hinweis: Note: The plants listed here are very popular with numerous bird species. The thorny and dense branches, which provide shelter and nesting opportunities, also contribute to this. The information is based, among other things, on many years of observations in the Weihenstephan sighting garden.

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