Providing nesting materials

[alanhill]

Although I've been providing all sorts of food for birds for some time, this year is the first that I've also tried providing nesting material, and at the moment (nesting time) it's probably even more fascinating to watch than the feeders - and very simple to do.

I have a wire mesh container hanging up just like a peanut feeder. It has a mesh of 10 mm, but I am sure a standard peanut feeder with a smaller mesh (around 6 mm) would do just as well. At first I was filling it with dog hair, but when that ran out I've been using cotton wool. It is extremely popular, particularly with sparrows and the tits. Starlings too, but then you would need to have the larger mesh.

What's so good about it is that it not only provides an additional interest to watching birds feed, but it gives you a good idea of which birds are nesting, and where they are nesting.

I hope none of you good folk are going to tell me that it's not a good idea for some reason, and maybe isn't doing the birds any favours. But the idea came from someone who knows their stuff.

[KCFoggin]

Nonsense! I have been providing nesting material for the birds for years and they seem to take full advantage of it. You are right on the mark when you say it gives you a way of telling who is getting ready for nesting as well. I pretty much just use dog hair but I suppose pure cotton would be very good as well. I do remember reading, and perhaps someone can tell me why exactly, but it is recommended that you do not use lint from your dryer vent.

[Andrew]

The local Sparrows pull the coir out of the previous years' empty hanging baskets much to my frustration. They also take our supply of Pampas grass tufts.

[Michael Frankis]

Cotton wool isn't brilliant - it tends to mat down into a solid wad, particularly if it gets damp at all. Best avoided, if you have alternatives.

Dog & cat hair is ideal (try visiting the local cat'n'dog shelter for extra supplies), so is un-spun sheep wool IF clipped into short lengths (not more than 2"/5cm long - long strands can tangle nestlings badly).

Another good option is to ask your local barber for his floor sweepings - again, chop it up if there's anything very long.

If you know anyone who keeps chickens or racing pigeons, the small body feathers are also excellent nest-building material.

Vegetable fibres: anything that's reasonably springy will do. As with cotton wool, avoid anything that wads down easily**. Moss raked out of the lawn is very good.

** KC: this is why washing machine lint is not suitable.

Definite no-no's: Nylon, and any other artificial fibre.

Michael

[KCFoggin]

Thanks Michael.

[Swift]

Dog hairs are favourite where we live.

[Tammie]

I put out clippings from when I cut our hair. The chickadees use it. I looked in their nest and also found moose hair and lots of moss.

[IanF]

We use a cotton wool material specifically marketed by on o the bigger bird food supliers as nesting material. The birds love it, with Sparrows, Blue Tits ad Goldfinches using it again this year.

I think that providing a source is an excellent idea as it reduces the strain on the birds nest making tasks as it gives a readily accessible source of material. Our Blue Tits last year, built their nest in a fraction of the time previously taken. When I came to clean out the box it was deeper and more snug than in previous years.

I can't think of a downside to providing the material.

[grahams]

One of my bosses has a dog which plays with a cuddly toy with artificial fur on it. He recently hung it on the washing line to dry and with minutes there were blue tits attacking it. They were pulling the artificial fur off strand by strand fur use as nesting material

[Michael Frankis]

Hi Grahams,

Unfortunately, birds don't have the ability to distinguish artificial fibres from natural, so they are unaware of the risks they run from getting fatally entangled in the stuff.

Michael

[Mickymouse]

I like the idea of cat fur, kind of ironic.

Mick

[snowyowl]

I like the idea of cat fur, kind of ironic.

Mick
I use donkey hair accumulated when I groom my two donkeys.

[alcedo.atthis]

I use donkey hair accumulated when I groom my two donkeys.


He-haw, he-haw, he-hallways says that horse hair, post grooming, from the nearest stables is also a good nesting material addition.


Malky

[Elizabeth Bigg]

Our bluetits last year soon picked up the fur groomed from my neighbour's cat, and since the nests are coming along nicely, I think I must put out the supply she gave me last week. I still have some feathers from the cushion I sacrificed a couple of years ago - all details are on our website: www.biggonline.co.uk

[helenol]

A couple of years ago, I noticed a swift motionless on the ground in the front garden, with the cat standing watch next to it. I shooed the cat away, and picked up the swift. It's right wing had become entangled in some cassette tape . I took the swift indoors, cut the tape off its wings, took it back outdoors, whereupon it flew away.

It seems as though it had been inside it's nest in the eaves, and had become tangled in the tape, and fell, like a stone to the ground. Fortunately, there was no harm done to the swift. No idea how many lives they have, but it certainly used up two that day.