First, think about what your goal is with building a bird grove: do you want to provide food for the animals? Or rather a nesting site and protection? With berry and thorn-bearing native shrubs, you're always in the right place.

How do you plant a bird forest?

• Prune the old material in the bird forest.
• Want to add new shrubs to the bird forest? Choose native species. These are good for biodiversity: insects, birds and butterflies welcome them.
• The Gelderland Rose is a native shrub that fits perfectly in a bird forest.
• Cardinal's hat is also native, as is Dirt tree, which is popular with birds with its white blooms and red berries.
• Dog rose is also an asset in the bird grove! This plant is especially suitable at the edges of bird groves.
• If you want to put new plants in the bird grove, make a spacious planting hole: the ground should be well loosened.
• Moisten the soil well before you place the plant in the planting hole and water well afterwards as well, especially for the first month.

Mmm...yummy berries!

Fortunately, there are many hedges and shrubs that get berries.

• Consider the privet, for example. Ideal because this hedge has a compact structure. So that means it provides a fine hiding place for birds. They also love the insects attracted by the blossoms in spring. They themselves also eat the dark berries of privet.
• The same is actually true for Hawthorn: the berries are a tasty snack!
• Elderberry berries are also a food source for birds, as are the berries of the Currant Tree: one of birds' favorites.

A Privet hedge is very bird-friendly

Pointed protection

Birds see bushes and trees with thorns as a safe haven that protects them from cats and crows.

• Consider the Firethorn: birds nibble the delicious berries while sheltered among the thorns.
• Buckthorn and Holly also provide fine (prickly) shelter.

Holly's thorns provide a safe hiding place

Buffet of fruits

Fruit-bearing trees and shrubs attract many worms, beetles and other morsels for birds. Of course, they also snack on the fruit themselves.

• In a bird grove, Raspberry, Blackcurrant, Blueberry, Plum trees, Cherry trees and wild Apple should not be missing.

Ground vegetation of Burr means for many birds: snacking on the fruits

As natural as possible

Try to mimic wild nature as much as possible.

• A log or wood pile among the low vegetation is perfect as a scavenging spot! The birds themselves help maintain the grove. In fact, they cause many trees to spread.

Vary in height of vegetation: plant from low to high.

Prune with policy

Pruning is allowed, but don't go too rigorous in the bird forest!

• Above all, leave dead wood and piles of leaves. It is perfect material for birds to build a nest. The dead wood is also a nice hiding place and birds can scavenge for food.
• Before you start pruning, it is important to check if there is a nest in the hedge or tree you want to prune.
• Prune preferably outside the breeding season. The breeding season of many birds runs from March 15 to July 15.

Pile up fallen branches and prunings: it becomes a bird's paradise!

Additional shelters in the bird forest

• Place nesting boxes at various heights in the grove.
• Create a branch trellis. Birds will make grateful use of it for nesting or sheltering among them. Line up branches in the ground and weave dead wood between them.

Water

Birds and other animals will be happy to have water in the bird forest. This way they can drink and bathe.

• Create a stream in the bird forest.
• A shallow water dish is no trouble and also works very effectively! Place the bowl at least two meters away from vegetation, because while drinking the birds are extra vulnerable to predators. For this reason, you can also place the bowl at a height of one meter: the birds can keep a nice overview of their surroundings this way.

Did you know that...?

...there are several native species that can be applied just fine? Do look at the growing characteristics. Birds love thorn- and fruit-bearing plants and shrubs. You can find all these different species in our PlantEncyclopedia!

Ground vegetation of Burr means for many birds: snacking on the fruits

Tip

Want to know more about the bird forest? We go into much more detail in this video.