A bird's nest is a magnificent decorative object, achievable with everything you can find during a walk in nature or in the backyard. Wild birds usually prefer to make their own nests, but you can attract different species to your garden by leaving the right material available or by building a bird nest box.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Building a Decorative Nest
Step 1. Find long, flexible twigs
They are used to give the nest the basic shape and are easier to manipulate than short stiff twigs. You can use straw sticks, long-stranded grass, grapevine, willow leaves, folding reeds or Posidonia that you can find in open spaces or in garden shops.
If Stipa tenuissima grows in your area, tear off a clump and run your hand through it from bottom to top to remove a handful of hairy seeds stuck to each other. When you have collected enough, gather them into a ball and shape them into a nest shape by sticking your thumb inside
Step 2. Fold the stems back into a ring
Grab a thick handful and fold them into a U, adding more if necessary to make a circle. Tie them together with a piece of florist's twine or wire. If they have small leaves or are stiff and dry, you may even want to braid them without using anything to tie them.
- If it is too difficult to tie them together, you can temporarily secure them with a clothespin while you wait for the glue to dry. Don't use glue if you plan to keep the nest outside.
- In case the newly cut twigs refuse to stay in place, try hanging them for 24 hours in a ventilated area to let them dry. Some twigs bend more easily when fresh, but grass and straw sticks work best dry.
Step 3. Shape the rest of the nest
Take a second, smaller, handful of twigs and shape it into a smaller ring. After that, slip it inside the larger ring and push it all the way down to form the base of the circle. In case the twigs don't stick together, or if you want the nest to be sturdier, you may need to use thread or glue to secure the two rings together.
Step 4. Decorate it with reclaimed material
Sometimes real birds spend whole days gathering material around to make their own nests. You should be faster, but you can still have fun retrieving some materials in natural environments or from your craft box. Here are some ideas to get you started:
- If you are planning to leave the nest outside, use only materials that you can find outside and do not use anything that could injure an animal.
- Feathers and eggshells are suitable for the theme. Be careful, in some areas it is illegal to collect wild bird feathers, even if they are nearly harmless from a health point of view.
- Look for twigs, leaves, tree bark, and moss of interesting shapes and colors.
- If you intend to use the nest for interior decoration, you can use bits of string, colored paper and confetti.
Step 5. Place the eggs in the nest (optional)
Complete your work of art by placing eggs inside, even fake ones. You can quickly add colored marbles or pebbles, or hollowed out real eggs, decorate them or even carve them, in case you have the necessary tools.
Method 2 of 2: Attracting Wild Birds to Nearby Nests
Step 1. Check the bird nesting habits in your area
Get a wildlife guide at a library or bookstore, or search online for local bird information. Choose a species or two to attract and check what kind of nest they make to find out which shape and style can be most effective.
If you live in Italy, the Lipu or EBN website can be interesting sources for obtaining information about nesting
Step 2. Leave some nesting material in your garden
It's an easy way to attract birds, and it may be worth doing even if you eventually decide to make a proper nest. If you can find specific information about the nest, you will know what materials to leave available. However, by placing some of these in visible places you can't go wrong:
- Rigid (for the species that make platform nests) and flexible sticks (for the species that make cupped nests);
- Remnants of garden mowing, such as dry grass and straw, bits of bark and moss, dry leaves, etc.
- Human or animal hair or hair (no longer than 15 centimeters);
- Wires or cords;
- Mud, cobwebs and / or caterpillar cocoons to help birds fix different materials together.
- Never leave material on hand that has come into contact with hazardous chemicals, including dyes, pesticides, or flea treatments. It is not recommended to use the cloth filters of the dryer or clothes rags.
Step 3. Get a variety of different plants
If you want to attract birds that nest inside cavities, leave some fallen tree stumps and logs in the garden. Trees and bushes will attract more visible nests than other species, especially if the plants are native to your area. For best results plant a "stairway" of grass or moss, flowering perennials, shrubs and trees.
Step 4. Build a bird nest box
If there are no noticeable crevasses or hollows in your yard, building a nest box or shed is a pretty straightforward carpentry job. Make sure you make it a size that fits the birds you want to attract or the birds you see flying around your home.
- If you live in the United States, follow the instructions for building specific houses for the most common birds in that area.
- Clean the house regularly when the birds are not nesting.
Step 5. Make a nest
Many birds prefer to make their own nest rather than settle in one that has already been built. Covering natural cavities with some of the materials listed above can be a good incentive for birds. In case you want to build a different type of nest, such as cup or platform, it is best to follow the specific habits of the type of bird you intend to attract, as each species prefers different materials.
