{"id":32149,"date":"2026-07-01T10:50:13","date_gmt":"2026-07-01T14:50:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/noida-woman-attracts-200-birds-to-her-balcony-using-simple-diy-plants\/"},"modified":"2026-07-01T10:50:13","modified_gmt":"2026-07-01T14:50:13","slug":"noida-woman-attracts-200-birds-to-her-balcony-using-simple-diy-plants","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/noida-woman-attracts-200-birds-to-her-balcony-using-simple-diy-plants\/","title":{"rendered":"Noida Woman Attracts 200 Birds to Her Balcony Using Simple DIY & Plants"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n<\/p>\n

At 5 am, before the city of Noida fully wakes up, Ekta Nahar steps quietly onto her balcony. Her mornings do not begin with bright sunshine or an alarm clock, but with something we rarely experience as city dwellers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The chirping of birds.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

At first, it is just a few chirps. Then come the flutters, and the sound of dozens of wings.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Within minutes, her balcony fills with birds: some perched on railings, some hopping between her 300 planters, some pecking gently at grains, and a few flying close enough to feed from her hand. The birds that visit her every morning include sparrows, hummingbirds, silverbills, Koel, parrots, and laughing doves.<\/span><\/p>\n

Her high-rise apartment balcony in a concrete neighbourhood is now a thriving living ecosystem, visited by nearly 200 birds every day.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2018Birdsong followed me home\u2019<\/span><\/h2>\n

Ekta, 35, has lived in Noida for over a decade. An artist by profession, her work focuses on mental health, often using art as a medium for healing and expression. At home, she shares her life with her husband and two rescued dogs. Over the years, she has cared for nine dogs and has also worked with animal welfare organisations such as People for Animals as a volunteer.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Focus on creating a safe environment, not just feeding.Photograph: (Shutterstock)<\/p>\n

Animals were always part of her world. Birds, however, were not. That changed during a 2022 family trip to Mussorie, Uttarakhand, when birdsong filled the place where they were staying.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe stayed at a place where we could hear birds all day,\u201d she recalls. \u201cIt was peaceful in a way I hadn\u2019t experienced in a long time.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

When she returned to Noida, the absence of birds felt sharp. \u201cI couldn\u2019t stop thinking about it,\u201d she says. \u201cAnd I kept asking myself \u2014 why should I wait until retirement to feel that kind of peace? Why can\u2019t I create it now?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Turning a balcony into a safe space\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

Back home, she began noticing what had been missing around her for years. \u201cThere was so much concrete everywhere, and hardly any space for birds,\u201d she says.<\/span><\/p>\n

So, in 2023, she decided to start small. She would turn her
balcony into a space where birds might feel safe enough to visit.<\/p>\n

So, in 2023, she decided to start small. She would turn her balcony into a space where birds might feel safe enough to visit.<\/span><\/p>\n

She added plants, kept bowls of water, and placed different kinds of grains. Then, she waited.<\/span><\/p>\n

For three to three-and-a-half months, no birds came. \u201cNot a single bird,\u201d she says. \u201cI kept wondering what I was doing wrong.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The first visitor<\/span><\/h2>\n

Then one morning, she heard a sound she had been waiting for. \u201cI was asleep when I heard a faint chirping,\u201d she says. \u201cI stepped out, and there it was: a sparrow.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

It had been over a decade since she had seen one in her neighbourhood.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat one sparrow meant everything,\u201d she says.<\/span><\/p>\n

One became three. Three became more.<\/span><\/p>\n

Today, three-and-a-half years later, her balcony welcomes nearly 200 birds every day.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re like family now,\u201d she smiles. \u201cThey\u2019re not afraid. They come close, they feed from my hand.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Even her rescued dogs have adapted to the rhythm, coexisting peacefully alongside the birds. Watching this happen every day also changed the way Ekta looked at urban wildlife. She realised that birds were not coming only for food. They were coming because the space made them feel safe.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Birds need safety before food<\/span><\/h2>\n

Over time, Ekta began to understand urban birds differently.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe always think feeding birds is enough,\u201d she says. \u201cBut it\u2019s not just about food. It\u2019s about safety.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Birds, she realised, are constantly assessing risk. \u201cIs there a place to rest? Can they escape quickly if threatened? Are there hidden dangers? They need spaces where they feel protected \u2014 from predators, from noise, from sudden movement,\u201d she explains.<\/span><\/p>\n

Even small details matter.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe kind of bowl you use, the height of feeders, whether they\u2019re hanging \u2014 it all makes a difference,\u201d she says. Hanging feeders, for instance, allows birds to fly away quickly if needed, making them feel more secure.<\/span><\/p>\n

She also became more careful about the plants she brought home.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMany plants we bring home have pesticides. That can harm birds,\u201d she says.<\/span><\/p>\n

Over time, her balcony became a carefully observed, bird-friendly habitat rather than a decorative garden.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A low-cost balcony built with care\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

As an artist, Ekta brought her creativity into the process. Instead of buying expensive setups, she built her own.<\/span><\/p>\n

She made birdhouses from cardboard and leftover wood powder, painted planters by hand, and turned recycled materials into feeders and perches.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

She made birdhouses from cardboard and leftover wood powder, painted planters by hand, and turned recycled materials into feeders and perches.<\/p>\n

\u201cDIY doesn\u2019t have to be expensive,\u201d she says. \u201cThe intention is to create a safe, green corner for birds and for yourself.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Today, her balcony has over 50 varieties of plants, layered to give birds shelter and enough space to move.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ekta now spends most of her mornings, and often her entire workday, when the weather allows, in her balcony. \u201cIt\u2019s not just for them anymore,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s for me too.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

What began as an experiment has become a daily ritual, one that brings calm, connection, and a sense of shared space.<\/span><\/p>\n

How to make your balcony bird-friendly\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

For those looking to do something similar, Ekta\u2019s advice is simple:<\/span><\/p>\n