Why You May Want To Avoid Adding Nesting Materials To Your Birdhouse

The idea of having birds flocking to your yard and building their nest in the birdhouses you put up is exciting. This is especially true if it's a birdhouse you built yourself, like this DIY birdhouse that uses repurposed tiles. In an effort to encourage more birds to visit, you may choose to transform your outdoor space into a bird haven. However, while there are many ways to attract your feathered friends to your yard and invite them to nest, such as learning how to choose a safe bird feeder, there's one step you should avoid when it comes to encouraging birds to live in your birdhouses — providing materials.

If you want birds to nest in your yard, then you likely want to make it as inviting a place as possible. However, while you may add nesting materials to your birdhouses with good intentions, it can actually be counterproductive. A pre-furnished birdhouse may seem like a luxury, but birds have a specific way they like to build their nests and materials they like to use. These can vary between species too.

As a result, instead of adding nesting materials to your birdhouse, choose to leave them empty. This doesn't mean you have to leave birds to fend entirely for themselves, however. Instead, take these steps to give birds a hand in building their nests while leaving them space to follow their instincts.

Think about what you see birds add to their nests in the wild. While some species, like killdeer, may opt for a minimalist approach by creating small depressions in the ground to nest in, other species may be more elaborate, using a variety of wild materials like leaves and sticks for their nests. As a result, one of the best ways to safely leave nesting materials for birds in your yard is to make sure they have ample resources to choose from.

Sticks, leaves, grass, moss, pine needles — these are all examples of safe nesting materials you can leave out for your winged BFFs, so long as they haven't been treated with any chemicals. However, even when you're providing the right materials for their nests, it's important to let them pick and choose how they want. As a result, create easy-to-access supply areas where birds can gather what they wish instead of placing nesting materials directly into your birdhouses. Providing a variety of materials for birds can be as simple as leaving a pile on the ground for them to visit and pick through or by offering small materials in a bird-safe wire cage, like a suet feeder.

You can also tailor your garden to meet the needs of birds. With the right choice of plants, you can provide them with a source of food as well as a place to take shelter and gather materials for their nests. When choosing your garden layout, consider adding plants that attract a variety of birds, not only to encourage them to visit your yard but to invite them to nest there.