In spring, San Francisco’s backyard spaces, which collectively cover more land than all our public open spaces combined, become an especially crucial resource for our city’s avian population. In preparation and response, the landscape designers and gardeners of Rooted SF, San Francisco’s new nature-oriented business collective, are making garden tweaks that support bird presence.

“I want the gardens I build to be havens for both people and birds,” says Rooted SF member Trina Lopez. “Our brains evolved to interpret bird song as pleasant and reassuring, so bird presence just bolsters the mental health benefits of a garden.”

San Francisco is home to dozens of resident bird populations, who are typically breeding in the spring, but is also a link in the Pacific Flyway, a massive north-south biannual migration route for dozens more bird species.

Rooted SF member Elisa Baier makes simple changes in gardens where owners want to support bird life. “It can be as easy as letting a twiggy shrub stay unpruned for the spring to give plenty of bird shelter,” says Baier. “Gardening for birds often just means keeping your garden a little wilder.”

For longer-term efforts, Baier suggests choosing a variety of seed- and nectar-producing plants, such as toyon and sages, to attract birds with varying feeding habits. A focus on creating varying height and some areas of dense foliage will make the space appealing to birds.