Habitat Structures for Wildlife

Lots of Australian birds and other native wildlife need nesting hollows to live in.

Hollows usually only form once a tree is older than 100 years. As we have lost a lot of our big, old trees in our urban environment there is a huge shortage of hollows for animals to live in.

You can help by providing a nest box in your tree that is specially designed for different animals, for example, sugar gliders, microbats or parrots.

You can make your own or buy one pre-made. For more information on types of nest boxes and where to locate them on a tree, please visit Sustainable Gardening Australia’s website.

If you'd like to buy a nest box, you can search online for providers who make a range of boxes for different species.

To build your own, visit Birds in Backyard’s website.

Insect hotels can attract a diverse range of species including native bees, stingless wasps, ladybirds, beetles and spiders. These insects are important for pollination, eating dead plant and animal matter and in providing food for other wildlife.

Australia has over 1,700 different types of native bees looking for places to live! They are small, cute and play an important role in pollinating our Australian plants, fruits and veggies.

As we have lost a lot of plants and bushland in our urban environments, bee populations are in decline and our native bees have less places to live.

You can help by hanging a bee and insect hotel in your garden. Other insects may use the hotel as a place to rest, lay eggs and hide from predators. They are fun and easy to make, and you’ll enjoy seeing bees using their new home.  

Watch these Gardening Australia videos for tips:

• How to make a bee hotel suitable for a range of different native bees
• Make a native bee hotel and attract native bees into your garden

Bird Baths

Water sources are important for birds to drink, bathe and socialise.

On hot days, birds need water sources to keep them hydrated. It’s easy to set one up - a shallow dish in the shade will do. If you have a deeper bowl, place some rocks or sturdy sticks in it so smaller birds and other insects or animals can safely find their way out.

Birds especially like elevated baths, preferably next to a bush where little birds can feel safe from predators. You could even try hanging one from a branch. Then sit back and enjoy the splash and colour as grateful birds visit your pop-up water source.

For more information, please visit the Australian Geographic website: The secret world of bird baths.

Water dishes

Other wildlife, like lizards, skinks and insects, like low-lying and shallow water sources.

Add a shallow dish or bowl on the ground in a sheltered and shady location. Placing dishes close to shrubs and grasses allows wildlife to quickly retreat from any threats and provides protection.

Filling a dish with sand, pebbles or rocks prevents insects from drowning and allows butterflies to bask in sun. 

Many frogs in Victoria are under threat due to loss of wetlands. You can help frogs survive in the urban environment by building them a pond in your garden.

You can buy a pre-made pond or dig your own and line it with heavy-duty pond lining. Frogs eat insects like mosquitoes, so they are great friends to have in your garden on summer nights, and you can enjoy their calls through the day and night.

Important elements of a frog pond or bog include:

• Drainage: Choose a low-lying section of your garden so run-off naturally drains into your pond
• Shade: 60-70% shade coverage from shrubs and small trees is preferable (avoid sections of your garden where too many leaves drop, like under big trees)
• Varying depths: Include a ramped entry point, and a shallow and deep water zone
• Water: Allow your pond to fill naturally with rain or tap water. If you use chlorinated tap water, allow it to stand in a clear container for 5 days before adding to your pond. When filling your pond with water, make sure it trickles (not gushes) to prevent over oxygenating the water.
• Plants: Indigenous aquatic plants can provide shelter and food for frogs. Do research and ask for plant advice from your local nursery to choose suitable and non-invasive options.
• Other features: Add rocks and logs for climbing spots, cover the bottom of your pond with washed gravel.
• Leaving it be: Once you have made your pond, the best thing you can do is leave it be! Water pumps or cleaning are not needed if you do not have excess leaf litter falling in your pond.

For more information, visit Sustainable Gardening Australia’s website.

Lizards, skinks and geckos are fantastic animals to attract to your garden. They are fun to watch and love to eat insect pests. Sadly, urban lizard populations are declining due to the loss of lizard-friendly habitats.

Creating a lizard lounge in your garden will help encourage and protect these gentle, valuable creatures. Many lizards shelter in dense vegetation, leaf litter, rock piles and in hollow logs. Reptiles are cold blooded, so they rely on additional heat sources to warm up.

All you need is a small area with some rocks so they can warm their bellies in the sun, some bits of wood stacked around the rocks, and nearby grasses and shrubs for them to hide in.

For more information, visit Gardening Australia’s website.