Bird Nesting Material – Wool

Birds line their nests with all sorts of material, twigs, dried grasses, and moss are well known but they also seek out other items as well like wool.

Sheep’s wool is very sought after, it not only provides a little bit of extra insulation and softness for the nestlings, wool has a lot of other properties, not least it can help to manage moisture and can help repel bacteria and fungus. This is part of the reason why your wool socks smell much cleaner than your other socks after a long day.

Birds don’t, of course, line the entire nest with a wool blanket, this would be dangerous as the birds feet could easily get caught up in the wool. Instead birds pick up bits of wool that are caught on hedges, shrubs and fences and weave it into the fabric of the nest.

For the garden setting you can pull the wool apart into small strands and tangle some pieces onto a shrub, tree, or rough wood. Alternatively you can use an old feeder like a peanut feeder or a suet block feeder to allow the birds to pull out what they want without tangling themselves.

Birds will come and collect wool all throughout the main nesting season from winter to late summer.

This wool has been washed and carded (combed) for ease of handling.