Feathers for Nesting

This information from 'Attracting Birds to your Garden' by John Dengate, gives some detailed ideas to help the birds with their nests.
With the drought in Australia there are plenty of birds around. Many have come in from the dry western areas to find food and water. Many people like to feed seeds and grain and greenery for nutrition. However, there are often great trees or other cosy places in our garden that our feathered friends like to nest in.
'You can give birds a helping hand during the breeding season by offering a range of natural and artificial nesting materials. Piles of suitable material should be left at various spots in the garden where they are out of reach of cats but easily accessible to the birds. Each species needs its own nesting materials, so whatever you provide, there is likely to be a local bird that will use it. Keep trying different items until you find the most popular ones.
Body feathers are used to line many nests. They are soft and provide essential insulation to help keep the eggs warm.
Twigs and sticks are the foundation of most nests and are popular with a wide range of birds.
Wool and cotton-Nesting birds love pulling threads from scraps of fabric. Don't use polyester, nylon or any thread that is not easily broken as it may end up wrapped around a chick's legs and cause some very unpleasant problems. A loosely woven bag of goodies hung in a tree makes the birds' task much easier.'

Mannatech Inc. scientists are at the cutting edge of nutritional science and these glyconutrients are essential for optimal health although are generally missing from our diet.