Many people love decorating for the holidays with beautiful lights, garlands, and ornaments. However, traditional holiday decor can be dangerous for birds. Glass ornaments, tinsel, and ribbon can entangle birds or cause them to ingest harmful materials. As lovers of birds, it’s important to make sure our holiday decorations are safe for our feathered friends. Bird friendly ornaments are decorations designed to be non-toxic and not entrap birds. With some simple tips, you can easily create a holiday wonderland that is both festive and safe for birds!
What makes typical holiday ornaments dangerous for birds?
Many common holiday ornaments pose risks for birds in a few key ways:
Sharp edges or points – Ornaments with sharp wires, edges, or points can stab or cut a bird if they land on the decoration. This can cause serious injury.
Ingestion hazards – Birds may try to eat small decorations or pieces that fall on the ground. This can cause impaction in their digestive tract or toxicity if the material is not safe to ingest. Ribbon, tinsel, and plastic pose ingestion risks.
Entanglement – Long tinsel, ribbon, beads, and other dangling or looped decorations can wrap around a bird’s body or entrap their feet. This can make it impossible for them to escape and can lead to serious injury or death.
Toxic coatings – Some decorations are coated in metallic paints, glitter, or other substances that contain heavy metals like lead, zinc, and chromium. These can be toxic if birds ingest them.
What makes an ornament bird friendly?
The main features that make an ornament safe for birds include:
Natural materials – Ornaments made from untreated wood, leaves, bark, pinecones, or other non-toxic natural materials are safest if ingested. Avoid plastic, metal, or painted decorations.
Blunt edges – Rounded or blunt edges won’t cut or stab birds that land on them. Avoid sharp wired decorations or spiky artificial trees and branches.
Short ribbon and trim – Eliminate or greatly shorten hanging ribbon, trim, tinsel and beads. Pieces should be less than 3-4 inches to avoid entanglement.
Large diameter openings – Any loops or openings should be large enough that a bird’s head and feet cannot become trapped. Aim for >3 inches diameter.
heavyweight ornaments – Lightweight ornaments are more likely to blow around and entangle birds. Heavier decorations are less prone to entanglement.
Tips for creating bird friendly holiday decor
Follow these tips to create festive holiday decor that keeps birds safe:
Use natural materials – Focus decorations on naturally-sourced items like pinecones, nuts, twigs, untreated wood, leaves, and nests. Leave edibles like berries and fruit intact on branches.
Skip the tinsel – Eliminate all tinsel. It easily entangles birds and is readily ingested. Opt for cloth ribbon or garland instead, in 4 inch lengths.
Choose safe accent decor – Look for heavyweight, blunt edged ornaments in natural materials like wood, cork, felt, or cloth. Avoid metallic paints or coatings.
Go easy on outdoor lights – String lights safely and minimize trailing wires. Don’t use spotlights or floodlights, which disorient birds.
Place decorations thoughtfully – Avoid decorating trees or areas where birds frequently roost or feed. Skip hanging ornaments in favor of tabletop accents.
Keep cats indoors – Decorations attract birds, making them vulnerable to predation. Keep cats inside to protect birds.
Dispose of tangled decor properly – Check for animals trapped in discarded lighting and decorations. Safely free them or dispose to prevent entanglements.
Remove decorations promptly – Take down holiday decorations shortly after the season ends so birds are not endangered by lingering objects.
Bird friendly ornament ideas
Here are some great options for safe, bird friendly holiday ornaments:
Natural wreaths and garlands – Adorn doors and mantles with fragrant pine, cedar, holly, magnolia, or fir wreaths. Accent with frosted dried fruits or faux berries.
Popcorn and cranberry garlands – String popped popcorn or dried cranberries onto untreated twine or sisal. Drape sparingly on bushes or trees.
Suet pinecones or orange slices – Coat pinecones, orange slices, or wood cookies with suet and roll in birdseed to make edible garlands. Hang safely on low shrubs.
Peanut butter pinecones – Spread pinecones with peanut butter and roll in birdseed. Hang on shepherd’s hooks well away from feeding areas.
Seed-stuffed decor – Stuff natural items like hollowed oranges, dried gourds, or coconut shells with birdseed. Use jute to hang.
Mason jar luminaries – Fill mason jars with rocks, pinecones, berries, and battery-operated string lights for warm ambiance. Group jars along walkways.
Tabletop accents – Craft tabletop trees from clipped evergreen branches in pots. Decorate with felt birds, cloth bows, or LED lights.
Burlap-wrapped planters – Wrap large planters with burlap and adorn with faux holly berries, pine sprigs, and raffia bows. Use as porch accents.
How to help injured birds from ornament accidents
If a bird does become injured by holiday decorations, here are some tips:
Carefully free the bird – If caught in decorations, carefully cut them away without further harming the bird. Handle only when necessary to avoid stress.
Provide a dark, quiet space – Place the bird in a ventilated box lined with a towel. Keep in a warm, peaceful area to recover from shock and stress.
Avoid food and water – Don’t offer the bird food or water, as this can further harm an injured bird. Let professional rehabbers provide appropriate care.
Call a wildlife rehabilitator – Contact a certified wildlife rehabilitator immediately for guidance. They can properly assess and treat injuries.
Limit interaction – Keep handling and noise minimal. Don’t attempt to treat any wounds, which requires training and permitting.
Get the bird to a rehab facility – Arrange safe transport of the bird to a wildlife rehab center as soon as possible. Time is critical for effective treatment.
Provide follow up – Check in with the rehab facility to monitor the bird’s recovery process and find out if release is achievable. Offer support if needed.
How to decorate safely for birds on a budget
You can easily create inexpensive bird friendly decorations using supplies you may already have:
Forage for natural materials – Search your yard or nearby parks for gorgeous leaves, branches, bark, seed pods, and pinecones. These make beautiful free ornamental accents.
Upcycle old decor – Convert old holiday decor into something bird safe. Remove sharp points, trim ribbon tails, and repaint toxic coatings.
Use household items – Hollowed oranges and other fruit, dried pods and gourds, scraps of cloth and burlap, and mason jars make great decor base materials.
Employ natural craft supplies – Use inexpensive craft basics like jute twine, raffia, wood cookies, clothespins, and popsicle sticks to create rustic decor.
Swap dangerous for safe – Trade a few old ornate glass ornaments for felt or wood replacements. Mix in with abundantly safe decor.
Stick to simple greenery – Skip complex ornamental arrangements. Opt for bare wreaths and garlands accented with pinecones, berries, and bows.
Make edible garlands – String budget-friendly popcorn, cranberries, cheerios, and fresh fruit onto plain sisal twine for natural garlands.
Focus on natural tablescapes – Adorn tables with potted plants like mini rosemary trees and accents like pine slice place card holders.
Invest in LED lights – Make the switch from incandescent to LED string lights for longer life and bright ambiance without high energy costs.
Conclusion
Ensuring holiday decorations are safe for birds doesn’t mean sacrificing a beautiful, festive home. With some simple strategies and bird friendly ornament ideas, you can easily create cheer for the whole family – including your feathered friends. Selecting natural materials, eliminating hazards like tinsel, and placing accents thoughtfully will help prevent injuries and deaths. If accidents do occur, contacting wildlife rehabilitators promptly gives birds the best chance at recovery. This season, spread holiday joy to all by decorating with care. The birds that share your world will thank you!
