The spring backyard building boom has begun! I’ve been watching the birds and other critters hard at work making nests. I’ve also seen a lot of posts lately of dogs sharing their fur to help their feathered friends. However, I want to caution that NOT all dog fur is safe to leave out for birds!
Don’t get me wrong, dog hair is a great building material for birds to use to make nests. It provides good insulation from the cold, and dries quickly. However, please do NOT leave out fur that has been chemically treated. Topical flea and tick medicines, medicated shampoos, and other grooming products used on our fur may be safe for us, but can be toxic to birds especially hatchlings. So please make sure that it is chemical free fur that you are leaving out.
Also NEVER leave yarn, human hair, or string. Birds can get tangled in it, and cut off their circulation. This is especially dangerous for hatchlings who can easily get entangled in it. Drier lint should also be avoided because not only can it can contain harsh chemicals, but it disintegrates in the rain, leaving weak spots in nests dangerous for eggs. Also be aware of what you leave out as decorations this spring. The cellophane used as Easter “grass” in baskets, may look tempting to birds, but it is a also a hazard to their safety.
If you’re uncertain if your fur is safe, or just want to help in a different way, the Audubon Society recommends leaving out twigs and small sticks, leaves, grass clippings, moss, and “fluffy” plants such as milkweed. Sure humans may see it as an eyesore, but if you gather it up in a quiet corner of your yard, the birds would appreciate it.
Speaking of eyesores, if you’re an overachiever like me when it comes to shedding, you may not want to let it blow in the wind. Rather than leaving it in wisps on the lawn and bushes where it can turn into tumbleweeds and blow into the neighbors’ yards, I recommend you put it in a clean suet bird feeder. This way your fur can easily be accessed by birds but not become a nuisance to others. In addition to hanging one in a tree, I also like to put one out at ground level. You’d be amazed how many mice nests we have found in our field of wild flowers over the years made from mine and Chuck Billy’s fur.
