It’s spring, and Australian birds are building their nests. But with what? Alongside grass and twigs, birds are collecting our rubbish. In 2023, a global study found litter in the nests of 176 different bird species, with common culprits including cigarette butts, plastic bags and fishing nets.

The risks these materials pose for birds – and particularly chicks – include choking, poisoning and entanglement.

In Australia, birds are already doing it tough, with a biodiversity crisis and the arrival of bird flu.

People might wonder: what can be done to help our feathered friends?

One approach is to try and make better nest-building materials more readily available to birds, particularly at this crucial time of year.

Our experimental project Peckable Architecture is designed to do just that.

This month, as part of the Melbourne Fringe exhibition Design x Nature, 100 bricks made from natural nesting material have been installed across two prominent Melbourne sites: Federation Square and the Royal Botanic Gardens.

Each brick combines bark, casuarina needles, fine twigs, coconut fibre and moss with an organic gelatin binder. The aim is for birds to collect the nesting materials they need as the bricks break down over time.

Birds nests are extraordinary creations; intricate webs of natural........

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