How to Build a Brush Pile for Birds
This simple backyard project offers shelter for birds in all seasons.
By Steve Kress
Executive Director of Seabird Restoration Program and Vice President of Bird Conservation
Published July 13, 2015
Collect and set aside fallen branches and logs to create a brush pile in the corner of your yard. Birds and other wildlife can use the brush to take cover during extreme temperatures and severe weather year-round.
Materials:
Adult supervision required
- Fallen branches
- Fallen logs
- Optional: Cuttings from pruning trees or shrubs
Steps:
1. Lay down the largest logs or trunks as a foundation.
2. Pile large branches loosely on top of this layer.
3. Continue building up the pile in successive layers. Make sure to leave open pockets between layers—don’t pack brush and branches on too tightly.
Extra tip: In large fields that are growing into young forest, you can create living brush piles by cutting neighboring saplings most of the way through the trunks, then pulling them together into a heap.