Help birds find nesting materials

I’m sure you’ve heard the expression “feathering the nest.” Backyard birds will actually be doing that during the next few weeks. You can help them out in several ways.

First, keep in mind that different types of birds have different nesting needs and requirements. Mourning Doves, for instance, cobble together a few loose sticks in the crotch of a tree limb. The nest isn’t very strong or pretty, but the doves don’t seem to mind (except during strong winds). Other birds take a lot of time selecting the right materials and carefully weave those items into a strong, comfortable nest for their eggs and chicks. Robins, for example, add mud to their stick-built nests for strength. Hummingbirds weave very thin fibers of spider silk, for their tiny cup-shaped nests.

Second, many birds prefer to build their nests in the open. Others, such as wrens, chickadees, bluebirds, swallows and most sparrows, welcome man-made birdhouses because the boxes simulate the natural tree cavities these birds require. You could add to that list woodpeckers and flickers. They create their own nesting cavities in trees, but equally welcome ready-made nesting boxes on trees or poles.

Robin's nest: open in crook of tree;
made of grass held together with mud

Now that the weather is warming, you’re probably eager to clean out plant debris from last year’s garden so you can lay fresh mulch and prepare for this year’s plantings. Resist the temptation to throw out all the old leaves, pine needles and bark. Put a little aside so birds can collect the material for their nests. They’ll reward you this summer with plenty of activity for you to enjoy. Once the nests are built, then you can remove any remaining debris.

Do you do any knitting? Drape small lengths of leftover yarn (4 to 8 inches long) over shrubs. Many types of birds prefer soft materials in their nests.

If you have a dog that is shedding its thick winter coat, brush the hair out and save it. Place the hair outdoors on the ground below a birdhouse or tree so birds can use it to line their nests. (Caution: The Cornell Lab of Ornithology recommends against using pet hair from animals that received flea or tick treatments. The chemicals can harm eggs.) Human hair works well, and is safe. Ask your hair salon for leftovers.

If you’ve accumulated wood shavings from a construction project, set the material outdoors for birds to gather.

Offer other natural materials such as sheep’s wool, feathers, cattail fluff, cottonwood down, cotton batting, moss and raffia. Narrow strips of cloth no more than 6 inches long work well, too.

Do not use dryer lint from your clothes dryer. Following rainfall, the fibers hold moisture and make the nests unstable. Additioanlly,they may be contaminated with laundry detergents and fabric softeners that contain harmful residues.

There are several ways of offering nesting material to birds. Material can be laid on the ground. If you’d like a more orderly method, place the material in an old suet cage and hang the cage from a tree limb or shepherd’s hook. Another alternative is a specially built cage. 

The Bird House has one cage that can be used for nesting materials. Later, after nesting season is over, the cage can be used to hold "seed bells," those special treats that made of a variety of seeds held together with glycerin that is safe for birds. These multi-purpose cages can be hung from a tree limb or a shepherd's hook.

The Bird House also has nest-material kits available that will suit the needs of most types of birds. One kit contains such items as downy feathers, yarn, string and aspen excelsior (the wiry-looking wood shavings once commonly used as packing material). Another kit contains pine shavings, which are ideal for cavity-nesting birds such as woodpeckers and flickers. These birds often chip out their own holes in trees, particularly trees with rotting trunks. But they also welcome human help in the form of nesting boxes. If you like cavity-making birds but your trees are healthy, you might wish to consider nesting box from The Bird House.

And don't forget hummingbirds. These tiny creatures build cup-like nests on tree limbs. Because of the small size of their nests, hummingbirds require short, delicate fibers. The Bird House offers a cage containing wool and cotton batting. Your hummingbirds will be delighted at this nesting material!