16/04/2026
A great way to help garden birds and all garden wildlife is to think habitat-first and to provide food and shelter naturally. Its quite straight forward really, everyone can do it. All we need to do is to provide an abundance of seeds, fruits, berries and nuts in our gardens and parks and to include plants which encourage a wealth of insects.
Trees and shrubs to help garden birds
Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna)
This smallish tree is very pretty in spring and supports hundreds of insect species and is highly tolerant of pruning. Making it a beautiful candidate for a spiky dense hedge for nesting. Birds eat the insects all over it and the haws (its fruit) in winter. The haws are one of the last trees to ripen, making it an essential early winter snack for birds. Haws are a favourite of waxwings and blackbirds.
Crab apple (Malus sylvestris)
The wild species is beautiful but cultivars all ripen at different times, giving birds a potentially long period with a lot of fruit. Crab apples are smaller enough for most gardens with lots of spring blossom for insects.
Holly (Ilex aquifolium)
Holly is excellent for wildlife. Its evergreen spiky nature makes one of the best natural habitats for hedgehogs and birds. In winter female plants have red berries loved by birds. Holly can be clipped into a dense hedge too. Holly berries are long-lasting and are a good food source when there is less around.
Elder (Sambucus nigra)
Elder is tough and easy to grow and attracts a multitude of insects, especially aphids, which t**s patrol for. In late-summer to autumn its black berries are one of the first to be eaten by birds.
Dogwood Cornus sanguinea)
Dogwood is a broadleaf shrub which thrives in damp woodland edges and borders. It’s also useful as part of a mixed native hedge. The leaves are eaten by the caterpillars of some moths, while the flowers are visited by insects. The black fruits of the dogwood appear in autumn and have a high antioxidant content. Finches, robins and thrushes love to pay a visit.
Rowan (Sorbus aucuparia)
A lovely medium sized tree with creamy flowers followed by autumn long-lasting red berries for birds including blackbird, thrush, redwing, blackcap, fieldfare and waxwing.
Whitebeam (Sorbus aria)
A charming medium sized trees for larger gardens or parks and greenspaces. The flowers attract insects, and the berries are a favourite with birds.
Guelder Rose (Viburnum opulus)
Guelder rose is a spreading, deciduous, upright shrub. It can reach up to 4m high and can spread from 2–5m. The red berries are an important food source for birds, including bullfinch and mistle thrush. The shrub canopy provides shelter for other wildlife.
Silver Birch (Betula pendula)
A whopping 300 insect species use silver birch for food and shelter. Leaves also attract aphids which provide food for ladybirds and other species further up the food chain - this abundance of insect larvae is a feast for chicks during nesting time. Woodpeckers and other birds often nest in the trunk of older trees, while small birds like long-tailed t**s, greenfinch and redpoll enjoy the abundant seeds and insects it hosts.
Wild cherry (Prunus avium)
Wild Cherry is so good for wildlife it was named for it - the avium in its scientific name refers to the birds that devour its fruits. The ripe cherries of high summer are eaten by blackbird, song thrush and other birds. Beautiful cherry blossom provides early nectar and pollen for a whole range of insects in spring and the foliage is the main food plant for lots of moth caterpillars, perfect for feeding chicks.
English Oak (Quercus robur)
If you are lucky enough to have space for a big tree then acorns are a favourite of many birds including Woodpecker, Nuthatch and Jay, Oak leaves and flowers appeal to a rich supply of insects which in turn bring plenty of birds including redstart and t**s. As the tree ages, bats may move in to feed on the insects too. In autumn, soft fallen leaves break down into a rich leaf mould that supports invertebrates for birds to forage for. And as an oak ages and become gnarly and knotted, with holes and crevices in the bark it makes for a perfect nesting spot.
We hope this list has given you lots of food for thought for how to help feed our UK garden birds naturally.
If you wish to find out more about Trees for Climate funding and planting trees with Greenwood Community Forest please do get in touch with Lynn
