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Birds are a gardener's best friend, as they keep slugs, snails and other insects from damaging your plants. Not only that, but birds make gardens more interesting and beautiful, both to look at and to experience. The sound of birdsong makes spending time lounging on your lawn or playing with your pets even more enjoyable.

A healthy garden will attract birds naturally; however, there are a few things that you can add to make your garden more desirable to birds. Wildlife experts have shared a few things that people who attract lots of birds always have in their garden.

If there's one must-have item, it's a birdbath. Birds need access to fresh, clean water to drink and bathe in.

James Ewens, gardening and wildlife expert from Green Feathers told Ideal Home: "Birds need their water just as much as humans do, to hydrate and bathe. It's crucial that birds are given a continuous supply. Water is an all-year-round priority.

"Birds need water to carry out their internal functions, metabolic processes, thermoregulation, and hydration, but also to maintain their feathers.

"When bathing, not only do feathers get cleansed of dirt and debris, but water also distributes their natural oil to insulate their feathers and make them waterproof.

"Water keeps feathers tip-top for flight, insulation and warmth - it's fascinating - so a regular water supply will lure them into your garden."

As well as water, birds need a consistent and nutritious source of bird feed that is free of nasties.

Danny Yeoman, wild bird expert for Pets Corner and developer of Peter & Paul Wild Bird Foods pointed out: "The foundation of any bird-friendly garden is a decent-quality seed mix. Sadly, many cheaper mixes are bulked out with wheat and oats - ingredients that pigeons can manage, but which most garden birds simply can't eat.

"A proper ground-bird mix should contain an insect protein component alongside fruit and berry inclusions. This closely matches what these birds would naturally forage for and supports them year-round."

Create an oasis for birds in your own back garden by planting a variety of bird-friendly plants, trees and shrubs. The experts at Woodland Trust noted that these will "help to provide shelter and nesting sites, as well as a natural food source".

They recommend planting berry-rich trees and shrubs like rowan, hawthorn, guelder rose and holly, which are all great natural food sources and also help to provide shelter.

Plants with an abundance of seeds are another "great choice", such as teasels or sunflowers.

Ivy and honeysuckle are also popular with birds - they provide dense cover and fruits and attract insects for birds to feast on.

Another option is to plant some wildflowers to "attract the insects that birds love to feed on". That way, you can "supply birds with food while filling your garden with gorgeous flower displays".