Offering nesting materials to songbirds makes life easier for them

Birds can find nesting materials without our help, but having them readily available entices birds to nest in favorite backyards.

Place the nesting materials where birds can see them easily. Place nesting materials on shrubs, over a clothesline or in a suet basket and hang from a tree branch. Never place nesting materials in a nest box. Birds might think it was already occupied.

What to offer birds?
String that is no longer than 4"
Yarn that is no longer than 4"
Small rope no longer than 4"
Soft cloth pieces
Upholstery stuffing
Scraps of fur
Recently shed or combed pet hair
Cotton
Sphagnum moss
Clean Poultry feathers
Dried grasses
Healthy human hair
Pieces of wool
Soft bristles from old paint brushes

Do not offer terry cloth because of the possibility of birds getting their feet entangled in the strings. Also, yarns, strings, threads and ropes longer than 4" can be hazardous, because birds can entangle their delicate feet. Pet hair is a favorite as are poultry feathers because they contain enough natural oils to help a bird's nest repel water.
Food crop of berries for next years friends. Another 20 fall through early winter berry bearing bushes feed wildlife naturally.

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P.O. Box 155
Black Mountain, North Carolina, USA 28711
A non-profit 501-3-C organization dedicated to wildlife research and education