Blog

Nest box monitors in Florida and Texas have reported some extremely early Eastern Bluebird nests this month. Learn more about this exceptionally rare timing, and what may have triggered these unusual nesting attempts.

Bird nests come in all shapes and sizes, some lasting for a season, while others last years, decades, or even centuries! A recent study on Bearded Vultures takes a fascinating look into their ancient nests that are still in use and the items found within that helped researchers determine how long they’ve been present in the environment. These discoveries highlight a valuable insight into our biocultural history and how we can shape future conservation goals.

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.

How did the bizarre folklore of the “changeling” child first enter European literature? Could an avian reproductive strategy called “brood parasitism” have served as inspiration? This week, we explore the origins of this fanciful myth by examining real-life changelings (i.e., cowbirds and cuckoos).

On a farm in Ohio, middle school students are learning about bluebirds and other cavity-nesting birds by monitoring nests for NestWatch. Kate Anderson told us how Operation Bluebird got its start, and offers a model that other land trusts and conservation organizations can use to introduce youth to birds and citizen science.

It took just four years to answer the decades-old question of “Are predator guards on nest boxes actually helpful?” With the power of citizen science, NestWatchers helped us use the best science available in a national study of cavity-nesting birds.

When it comes to predators near the nest, do birds leave after just one observation? A recent study suggests that simply observing a predator at the nest box one time is not likely to cause abandonment.

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.

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.