Want to entice more birds around your place?  If houses just aren’t getting the action you had hoped for, try adding nesting materials nearby.  Although not all birds use decorative bird houses, all will search out and gather some type of material for nest building. You’ll have a greater chance of seeing occupied birdhouses, and attracting more species.

Some common types of nest materials found in nature include; grasses, pine needles, weed stems, twigs, bark, leaves, wood chips, moss, feathers, woven plant fibers lined with thistle or milkweed down, rootlets, and mud.

Man made nesting materials (which you can put together at home) include; cotton, yarn strings, feathers, dryer lint, decorative mosses, and pet hair.  A mesh produce bag works great to secure and hang the bundle of material.  We made our own little sack using horse tail hair and dryer lint, and within days…the ball was shredded!  In amazement, our neighbor,  even asked “What was that?”

Help both cavity dwelling birds and non-cavity dwellers to thrive with use of birdhouses and nesting material.  Please help house the birds!