Is willow safe for birds? Bark, bend and the pleasure of stripping

Willow is the only material we use that arrives with its skin still on, and that turns out to matter more than anything about the wood underneath.

What is willow?

Willow is the wood of Salix, a large genus of fast-growing trees and shrubs found across the temperate world, including throughout Britain. It has been coppiced for centuries, meaning cut back hard so it throws up straight new growth, which is then harvested for basketry, hurdles and fencing.

That growth is what we use: thin rods, flexible, still carrying their bark. Unlike balsa or beech, which arrive as milled timber, willow arrives essentially as the plant grew it.

Is willow safe for birds?

Untreated willow is widely considered safe for birds and is one of the more commonly recommended woods for enrichment. Both the wood and the bark appear on standard bird-safe lists.

Willow used for basketry is often steamed, boiled or buffed, and sometimes treated to stop it splitting. Craft willow is not automatically bird-safe willow. Nor is willow cut from an unknown tree, which may have been sprayed.

What to check before you buy

• Bark. If it has been stripped, ask why. Buffed willow has usually been processed.
• Spraying. Roadside and garden willow may have been treated. Provenance matters more here than with milled timber.

Why we use it

Birds strip bark. It is one of the things they do in the wild and one of the few natural behaviours a cage makes almost impossible. Willow gives it back to them.

The bark comes away in long fibrous strips, which takes time and produces a satisfying mess, and underneath there is a second, smoother material to start on. One rod is effectively two toys.

It also bends. Willow can be woven into balls and stars that hold their shape but flex when grabbed, which is a different sensation from anything rigid, and useful for birds who like to wrestle rather than chew.

Which of our toys use willow

• Mini Vine Star, woven willow and very little else
• Cheerful Center and Star Struck
• Super Sunrise v2 and Triple Threat
• Double Dangle and the All-In-One Starter Kit

If your bird has never had bark to strip, the woven star on its own is the clearest way to find out whether they enjoy it. Most do.