Use of human hair as nesting material in an Australian passerine, the Pied Butcherbird Cracticus nigrogularis

Abstract

A broad range of avian taxa are known to incorporate mammalian hair and fur into their nest materials and at least two reported observations involve birds using human hair. This note reports behaviour of an Australian passerine, the Pied Butcherbird Cracticus nigrogularis purposefully undertaking repeat visits to the same site to collect strands of human hair to supplement the structure of its nest. Apart from demonstrating ingenuity in this species, the observations expand our limited knowledge of avian use of human hair.