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NestWatch Blog Posts

  • a tree swallow adult alighting on a nest structure, feeding a nestling that is reaching out of the entrance hole.
    Buckeye Birds Track Temperature And Precipitation

    A new study based on Ohio’s bluebirds and Tree Swallows sheds light on how future climate scenarios might impact nesting birds. It also takes a look at how birds might help mitigate crop pests in Ohio.

  • Time Traveling House Finches

    A study spanning a century of House Finch data suggests that as California’s springs get warmer, the birds are laying eggs earlier in the season. Read on to learn how researchers used our nest records to uncover the historic lives of House Finches.

  • A Pulley System for Large Nest Boxes

    For anyone struggling with how to clean and maintain a large nest box mounted on a tall pole, consider installing a pulley system to raise and lower your nest box. Within this post is a link to a design for building a low-cost pulley system.

  • Round Versus Slot Entrances: New Study Says “Go Round”

    A new study of nest box design suggests that bluebird enthusiasts should choose round entrance holes over “slot-style” nest boxes. Find out why this design decision made a difference to Mountain Bluebirds in British Columbia.

  • a young bluebird looking out of the entrance hole of a nest box.
    Predators Near the Nest: Bluebirds Weigh the Risks

    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.

  • On Cowbirds and Changelings: is there more to the lore?

    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).

  • Inspection Cams Bring Nests Into View

    Have you found a nest that is hard to check? Maybe a nest inspection camera is the right tool for you! Read on to learn about this technical solution to monitoring nests that are in tight spots.

  • Sold! Realtors Take On The Owl Housing Market

    When a husband-and-wife team in the real estate business set out to build a Barred Owl nest box, they hoped their listing would please the local owls that were heard calling around their new property. In time, it did, but they had to put in some sweat equity to make it happen. Read our new blog post about their journey and the lessons learned. This box will be the envy of the neighborhood!

  • New Homes For Birds On The Walnut River

    She may not be old enough to drive yet, but 14-year-old Katelyn Shelton didn’t let that stop her from creating a nest box trail in her neighborhood. A contributor to NestWatch, Katelyn shares her enthusiasm for birds and conservation as a guest blogger.