"Want birds to flock to your backyard? One simple trick: Ease up on mowing your lawn, suggests Sally Roth, author of The Backyard Bird Lover’s Field Guide. Higher grass (three to four inches) provides a safe zone for many kinds of birds, as well as a home for the insects they nosh on. You can also attract a wide range of birds by planting trees, shrubs, vines and flowers that produce berries and seeds. Good choices include dogwoods, viburnums, blackberries, grapes, ornamental grasses, black-eyed Susans, nasturtiums and sunflowers.

You are especially likely to draw in winged customers if you garden with plants that are native to your area — the local birds are already used to eating their fruit and nesting in their branches. (Ask your local nursery which plants are most suitable.) Just steer clear of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, which are harmful both to birds and the insects that may be part of their meals.

But if you’re in a real rush to attract a crowd, invest in a bird feeder (or two or three). Bird feeders are inexpensive and sold at most local garden stores. Different kinds of feeders (and different kinds of food) appeal to different birds.
For example, cardinals (which go for sunflower seeds the way humans crave chocolate) only eat from a feeder where they can face the food. And tube feeders are best for holding the thistle seeds that attract finches. Place your feeder where you can easily watch the birds throughout the seasons — but not over a deck or patio area, since droppings can stain wood or paving."