Want to attract more birds to your backyard? Providing nesting materials is one of the best ways to do it! Birds need suitable places to build their nests and raise their young. By setting out nesting supplies, you can make your yard more attractive and bird-friendly.
Why Provide Nesting Materials?
There are several key reasons to offer nesting materials:
- Attracting Birds – Providing nest-building supplies is a sure way to draw more birds to your property. Species like chickadees, titmice, wrens, and hummingbirds often seek out loose materials for weaving nests.
- Helping Birds – Many birds struggle to find all the right nesting materials they need. You can make nest construction easier by setting out quality supplies in your yard.
- Encouraging Nesting – With the right materials available, you may convince birds to build their nests on or near your property. Nesting birds are a delight to observe!
- Supporting Native Birds – You can specifically help native species by offering natural materials they instinctively search for. Avoid non-native or processed options.
- Providing Safety – A well-built nest in a suitable spot will keep eggs and baby birds protected. Predators have difficulty reaching nests tucked into dense foliage.
As you can see, supplying nesting materials benefits birds tremendously. Let’s look at the best options to use.
Best Natural Nesting Materials
When selecting materials to set out, stick with all-natural fibers, strands, and debris birds naturally seek in the wild. Some top choices include:
Pet Fur, Hair, and Feathers
Collect fur clumps brushed from pets like dogs and cats. You can also save feathers from backyard chickens. Set these cast-off fibers in a container or stuff into an existing birdhouse or nesting site. The birds will happily repurpose them into cozy nest linings.
Dry Grass and Straw
Dried grasses are excellent structural materials for bird nests. Leave small bundles of straw or untied blades of grass in your yard. Species like phoebes and robins will snap these up to weave sturdy outer nest layers.
Moss and Lichens
Gather small patches of moss from trees and rocks around your property. Birds use this soft, dense material to cushion their nest interiors. You can also offer dried lichen flakes scraped from tree bark.
Cotton Batting and Fabric Scraps
Pull apart cotton balls or strips of natural cotton batting and set them out for birds. Tiny scraps of light cotton fabric likewise make useful lining material. Just avoid synthetics like polyester.
Shredded Paper and Cardboard
Tease apart shredded paper, paper towels, or corrugated cardboard into stringy fibers. Cottonelle and cheap paper towels work well. Cardboard strips should be left long. Birds will cut these themselves.
Spider Silk and Plant Down
Delicate spider silk woven around branches or eaves makes a pliable binding material. The soft, cottony down of cattail, thistle, and milkweed seeds also gets incorporated into many nests.
Mud and Twigs
Wet mud helps birds cement nesting material together and attach nests to branches or buildings. Have a small mud puddle near your nesting station. You can also set out piles of twigs in various sizes.
Offering Nesting Materials
Now that you know which materials work best, here are some tips on offering them:
- Set materials out in a shallow bowl, basket, or tray suspended or mounted near trees, shrubs, or birdhouses.
- Stuff bundles of fur, hair, and feathers into existing birdhouses, nest boxes, or natural cavities.
- Hang small mesh bags or pieces of scrap fabric containing materials from tree branches.
- Allow prickly shrubs and vines like blackberry brambles to grow naturally as great support structure for nest building.
- Leave patches of tall grass and small brush piles where birds can gather sticks and blades.
- Place cotton, moss, grass, and mud supplies near a dripping hose or sprinkler where birds can moisten them.
- Offer an appealing variety of materials including both structural and lining types.
- Replenish supplies as needed once birds start actively building nests.
Position your nesting material station in a secluded spot protected from predators. Nearby trees and shrubs provide natural concealment. Nesting birds will visit the area frequently to collect what they need.
When to Offer Materials
Aim to set out nesting supplies starting in early spring just as breeding season begins. Maintain the station through summer as different species build nests. Specific timing includes:
- Early Spring – February and March. Cardinals, chickadees, and other early nesters start gathering materials.
- Mid Spring – April and May. Peak breeding season for most species like wrens, sparrows, robins.
- Summer – June to August. Late nesting birds like goldfinches and hummingbirds still need materials.
- Early Fall – September and October. Continue offering supplies for fall migrants passing through.
Pay attention to activity at your nesting material site. Refill materials when you notice birds actively taking them. With a steady supply available, your yard will become a popular nest-building hub!
Nesting Material Ideas and Inspiration
Looking for more specific ideas on how to offer nesting supplies? Here are some creative suggestions:
- Hang a “bird hair salon” – a mesh bag stuffed with pet fur – from a tree or post.
- Set out a shallow baking dish filled with cotton balls, dryer lint, and shredded paper.
- Tie bundles of 6″ straw pieces to tree branches or fence posts.
- Stuff a tube sock with hair and feathers and hang it by holes poked in the toes.
- Cut yarn or string into 6″ pieces and set out in old milk jugs with holes cut in the sides.
- Save fur from your hairbrush and leave clumps in a wire suet basket.
- Position trays of mud near dripping water sources.
- Allow small vegetable and flower garden debris to accumulate in a corner – excellent for foraging!
- Hang hollow gourds or wooden boxes with entry holes and fill with nesting materials.
- Weave dried grass and twigs directly into wire fencing.
- Pile corn husks, dried flowers, Spanish moss, etc. on a flat platform feeder.
Get creative and use what you have available! Change up materials seasonally based on what birds are currently searching for. Maintaining a steady supply will lead to lots of feathered nesting activity.
Avoid These Pitfalls
When offering nesting materials, be sure to avoid these common mistakes:
Using Non-Native Fibers
Stay away from processed fabrics like yarn, quilting cotton, polyester stuffing, etc. Stick to only natural materials birds recognize.
Offering Small Scraps
Birds need substantial pieces at least 3-6 inches long to weave sturdy nests. Don’t chop materials too small or finely shred them.
Providing Insufficient Variety
Set out a diverse mix including stuffing, lining, binding, and structural materials. Nest-building requires an assortment.
Poor Timing
Make materials constantly available starting early spring through summer. Don’t wait until it’s too late in the season.
Exposing Area to Predators
Site your nesting station in a secure area away from pets, prowling cats, snakes, raccoons, etc. Set up proper deterrents.
Letting Materials Get Waterlogged
Keep materials dry by offering them under cover. Wet materials quickly degrade and grow mold.
With smart planning and an abundance of quality nesting supplies, you’ll soon host a full season of nest building in your backyard! Birds will gratefully use what you provide to create cozy, sturdy homes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are answers to some common questions about attracting birds with nesting materials:
What are the best materials to offer birds?
Focus on natural fibers like pet fur, dry grass, cotton batting, shredded paper, moss, mud, twigs, and feathers. Avoid synthetic fabrics. Offer a variety of material types and textures.
Should I put out nests instead of loose materials?
No, it’s best to provide loose supplies only. Birds have specific nesting requirements and prefer to build nests themselves.
How should I present the materials to birds?
Set them out in shallow containers mounted near trees or posts. Stuff materials into existing cavities. Hang bundles from branches. Keep supplies off the ground.
When is the right time to start setting out materials?
Early spring as breeding season starts through midsummer. Refill as birds take supplies so a steady source is always present.
How can I keep cats, snakes, raccoons, etc. away from nesting areas?
Site material stations and nest boxes well off the ground and away from branches and fences. Use deterrents like plastic owls, blinking lights, or water sprayers.
Do I need to provide real mud for the birds?
Yes, having a wet mud source helps birds collect this vital nest-building supply. Set trays of mud near dripping water fixtures.
How do I get pet fur for birds to use?
Collect and save fur you brush from dogs, cats, rabbits, etc. Pull apart any dense clumps to loosen and fluff the fibers before putting out.
What birds commonly use found nesting materials?
Chickadees, titmice, wrens, hummingbirds, robins, phoebes, finches, orioles, bluebirds, and more! Almost all birds except large raptors build nests.
Providing quality nesting materials tailored to birds’ needs will create an attractive haven full of busy nest builders! Follow these tips to support thriving bird populations through every stage of the breeding season.
Conclusion
Welcoming more feathered friends to your backyard starts with offering the best nest-building supplies. By providing an array of natural fibers, cottons, mosses, and other materials birds instictively seek out, you make it easier for them to construct secure nests to raise young. Regularly replenish a diversity of quality materials in your yard from early spring onward to create a safe nesting zone bustling with bird families. With a little effort to give birds what they need for nesting success, you’ll be rewarded with the joy of seeing your yard thrive as a preferred nesting destination all season long.