If you wish to put out nesting materials for wild birds, do your homework first and be certain that they are indeed safe and beneficial for the birds.
For more, see how to make bird feeders from repurposed water bottles.
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Welcome Birds
I’m always looking for ways to not only encourage birds to visit my garden but to make them comfortable enough to stay a while. To feel secure, birds like access to trees, shrubs, flowers, and any other items they can safely perch, hide, rest, and nest upon.
Besides providing various types of bird feeders, seed, and water, you can also offer nesting boxes and nesting material.
As mentioned, this idea requires research first to ensure anything you offer is safe. Birds may be attracted to things like yarn that, if the pieces are too long, can become entangled on their feet and cause terrible problems or death.
Please take these ideas as suggestions to be investigated only.
Nesting Materials
I look up my questions at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and trust their information.
This spring I’ve been putting out various nesting materials free for the taking. It’s quite fun watch a bird come along, make a selection, and fly off with a length of ribbon or fluff to include in their nest construction.
Many gardeners mention that the number one favourite nesting material (according to most birds surveyed) is dog hair. If you’ve got a long-haired dog, brush that baby and save the hair for the birds. You can also try your own hair as well though it’s probably not quite as cuddly. Dogs are softer!
Ideas
Here’s some suggestions for nesting material
- straw
- twigs
- yarn – not longer than 4″ in natural colours only: must blend into surroundings
- dry grass
- dog hair
- dry leaves
- shredded paper
You can place these items in
- suet feeders
- kitchen whisks
- any little cage-like thingy that the birds can securely perch upon and shop from
I took this images while watching the BBC show Gardeners’ World during a segment featuringWildlife Kate. You can see her website and bird cams here: http://www.wildlifekate.co.uk/ . She’s got a garden packed with ideas for keeping the birds and other wildlife happy.
Window Nesting Box
Three Suction Cups Provide Stable Mounting (Clean Window Prior to Mounting)
- Educational and Fun
- Handcrafted from Eastern White Pine
- 9″h x 6-1/4″w x 5″d
- Made in Maine
- See the Coveside Window Nest Box
No matter what, please make choices you know are safe for the birds and when in doubt, just leave them be.
~Melissa the Empress of Dirt ♛
Make Proper Nesting Boxes for Wild Birds
I wonder, with so many nesting materials available in the natural environment, how do the birds even find your little nest material offerings? Do you place it close to a birdfeeder, house, or birdbath? We have a bird nesting in our birdhouse this year (finally) and the kids are very excited about the prospect of putting out nesting materials… so maybe we’ll give this a try next spring. Thanks for sharing.
It’s the same (perhaps) with birdfeeders: with so much food available in their environment, what makes them notice the feeders? 🙂
I have Cairn Terriers so they provide great hair for our birds. I do not use *any* flea killing treatment on my dogs so their hair is safe to use. I spread hair on a bush in our dog run and the birds find it incredibly quickly.
I also leave some hair on the ground. By the next morning the bush and the ground are totally hair free so I use my Mars grooming tool to get a new supply for the birds.
Please note that you should never use the hair of a dog treated with Frontline or Advantix. The pesticides stay on the fur and are harmful to baby birds.
Hi! I’m searching the web for nesting material. I plan on providing my garden birds with not only food this coming winter. I have 3 bird caches up, but plan on bying some roosting pockets off ebay. The caches are currently emphty, not so nice as it will be cold.
So off to get some nesting material. Maybe from my sister’s dog!! But, what about the material getting wet when hanging outside…. ?? What’s your take on that?
Just a tip I know from raising canaries: if you put out yarn or string for birds, you need to make sure the threads are all separated from each other, otherwise the birds’ feet can get caught in the threads that make up “yarn” and “string”.
Thank you, Kathryn. 🙂
Melissa, This is such a wonderful idea. I am always amazed at some things our members come up with. Love this whole idea. Thank you.
Thanks, Rosalie!
Popping by from Pinterest…GREAT ideas! I have some dog hair that I’m only too happy to share! ;D
It’s really fun when you get to see something you put outside actually made into a nest!