Blog

The Xalapa Wildlife Conservation Management Unit in Veracruz, Mexico, works to boost populations of Mottled Owls in urban green spaces. They are piloting a first-of-its-kind nest box program to help the owls find safe nesting spots in cities.

With more people using Wi-Fi enabled security cams at home, we’re seeing an increase in their use for monitoring nests as well. These smart cameras integrate with apps on your phone to provide around-the-clock access to your favorite birds. NestWatch project leader Robyn Bailey and NestWatch chapter coordinator Ian Stewart share their experiences with two different camera styles. See what they learned, compare image quality samples, and share your own tips.

Bird blowflies are an unwelcome blood-feeding parasite found in the nests of many species of birds. Their presence is often blamed for nestling deaths, but there is little scientific evidence that they commonly reduce nestling survival, suggesting that their harmful effects are below a lethal threshold. What—if anything—can or should we do about them when monitoring nest boxes?

In July 2022, Ohio lost a longtime champion of conservation. Mr. Dick Tuttle had been building, maintaining, and monitoring nest boxes for five decades in his community. Upon his death, friends rallied to digitize his nest box data and preserve his 53 years of nest records in perpetuity for NestWatch. This blog post honors his conservation legacy.

Researchers examined long-term demographic data from NestWatch to understand the degree to which certain species and populations might be correlated in their reproductive success. They used 21 years of NestWatch data and found little synchronization between Eastern Bluebirds and Carolina Chickadees, a result that might indicate these populations are resilient to environmental challenges.

The North American Bluebird Society recently convened a virtual conference to assess the status of the least-studied bluebird species—the Mountain Bluebird. Four panelists looked at trends and interacted with nest box stewards to try and understand what next steps would help address declines.

NestWatchers occasionally encounter ants or their colonies in birds’ nests. What, if anything, should be done about them? The answer depends on whether the ants are predatory or not.

House Finches are known to nest around human habitations, but are only rarely documented using nest boxes. We spoke to two NestWatchers who have House Finches using nest boxes they monitor, and we share tips on what to look for if you think you might have them, too!

A unique new study combines American Kestrel nest records from varied sources in order to analyze trends in nesting phenology. What they found is that for kestrels, especially those in the Northeast, it pays off to be right on time. Delays in starting a nest resulted in fewer offspring and lowered probability of success.