Free Nesting Material for Birds

Provide nesting material for songbirds - for free! Make a basket out of wire. I recommend a smaller mesh than chicken wire - half-inch "hardware cloth" works well. Include a mesh lid to keep the contents from blowing away.

What are the contents? The lint that comes out of your clothes dryer. Birds will use it in building their nests, just as they use any random scraps of fiber or cloth. You have a lifetime supply of material at no cost to you.

Hang the basket in a location where birds can see it, but which is not constantly traveled by humans. (Brightly-colored lint or scraps in the mix will help attract birds).

If you have a dog or cat, add in the hair you brush off of them (no, it won't scare birds away; they use the same stuff in the wild). Pet hair keeps your pets warm; it will do the same for baby birds.

By Rev. Bowers from Wurtsboro, NY