Nesting materials

[Ian Fraser <>]

Hmm, seems to be all in the packaging. A short while ago I clippered my hair and left it as an offering on the outside table. Totally and scornfully rejected. Apparently it needs to be offered in a basket or bag; I shall issue an apology to them and try again next time.

Thanks for the reminder about the Golden-backed Honeyeater harvesting my beard in central Australia some years ago Lia; I just checked and it was already faded to grey, so that clearly is not a deterrent Chris.

Ian

On 5/10/2021 10:04 pm, Anthony Overs via Canberrabirds wrote:

White works! Apart from the dark grey/black hair from my dog, I’ve also been putting out white/blonde hair from my neighbour’s maremma. The magpie-larks were taking the white hair today, again dunking it in the water. The Willie Wagtail also took a little bit of white today. 

On 5 Oct 2021, at 9:20 pm, Chris Davey m("aapt.net.au","chris_davey");"> <> wrote:



We have a poodle which does not shed so when next my wife cuts my hair she tells me that it will go out in an old cloth peg bag for an offering. I wonder if birds would like to line their nest with white hair. Possibly not.

 

From: Canberrabirds [m("lists.canberrabirds.org.au","canberrabirds-bounces");">] On Behalf Of Lia Battisson
Sent: Tuesday, 5 October 2021 12:47 PM
To: m("lists.canberrabirds.org.au","canberrabirds");">
Subject: Re: [Canberrabirds] Nesting materials

 

And I was on a trip with Ian Fraser in Central Australia and witnessed a honeyeater trying to take hair from his beard!

Lia

 

 

From: Canberrabirds On Behalf Of Philip Veerman
Sent: 5 October 2021 11:59 AM
To: m("lists.canberrabirds.org.au","canberrabirds");">
Subject: Re: [Canberrabirds] Nesting materials

 

Various birds (from memory honeyeaters) have even been known to take hair of live kangaroos, koalas, sheep……….

 

From: Canberrabirds On Behalf Of Anthony Overs via Canberrabirds
Sent: Tuesday, 5 October, 2021 11:37 AM
To: Helen Cross
Cc: Canberra birds
Subject: Re: [Canberrabirds] Nesting materials

 

Excellent!

 

That reminds me of the nest workshop outings to Campbell Park. The sheep in the paddock next to the reserve scratch themselves on the fences, leaving wool on posts and barbed wire. We’ve seen that wool used to line nests of species like Red Wattlebird, Noisy Friarbird, Olive-backed Oriole, Weebill, and Grey Fantail (Jack Holland, were there others??). 

 

Anthony 

 

 

On 5 Oct 2021, at 10:53 am, Helen Cross <> wrote:



Grey Fantails and White-throated Gerygones have used shed horse hair in their nests from the local agistment paddocks.

 

Cheers

Helen

 

On Mon, 4 Oct 2021, 6:59 pm Anthony Overs via Canberrabirds, <> wrote:

Hi all

I leave some dog hair in an old clothes peg basket in the front yard for birds to collect for nesting materials. In the past, Superb Fairy-wrens, Eastern Spinebills and Red Wattlebirds have collected hair.

Today, the wattlebirds were taking some; they are building again after successfully raising two young.

Two new birds took some hair today. A Willie Wagtail, from one of the two pairs that live very close by, took some hair on two occasions. I didn’t see where the bird went though. A female Magpie-lark also took some hair on three occasions; the first time, she collected a bit of grass as well as the hair, dunked the whole lot in the bird bath, then took it straight up to the nest under construction just across the street.

Another donation was quickly brushed out of the dog and put in the basket!

Anthony

 

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Ian Fraser, m("internode.on.net","calochilus51");">
ph: 0427 207 412  
Blog: http://ianfrasertalkingnaturally.blogspot.com.au 
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