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NestWatch Blog Posts

  • Predator Guards Carry Their Weight

    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.

  • To Clean Or Not To Clean Your Nest Box?

    Do cavity-nesting birds prefer to reuse nests, or do they like a fresh start? The answer is not clear-cut, and a lot depends on the species and the geographic location.

  • Eastern Bluebirds Using Open Cup Nests

    In May 2017, Jason Estep of Ohio witnessed something incredibly rare, or at least, rarely seen. An Eastern Bluebird female consistently sat in the old nest of an American Robin over an eight day period. Although the nest was too high to glimpse the contents, it is thought that she was incubating eggs. But Jason isn’t the only one to find this kind of oddity this year.

  • Juncos Nest In A Birdhouse, Part Two

    Last summer, NestWatcher Melissa Sherwood surprised us with the first ever report of a Dark-eyed Junco nesting in an enclosed nest box. Well, this year, Denise Hamilton joins the exclusive club of people who have observed this rare behavior.

  • a close-up view of yarrow buds about to bloom.
    Avian Apothecaries

    Not only do humans self-medicate with aromatic herbs such as lavender, mint, and sage—it turns out that birds also utilize pungent plants in their nests.

  • No Nest Required

    Whether for camouflage or parasite reduction, or due to cold weather or nest site competition, not building a nest can certainly have its perks. Meet five species that skip nest building.

  • a carolina wren perched on a flat surface with a harvestman spider in its beak.
    Along Came a Spider

    Spiders can be shriek-inducing for some people; however, birds benefit from these eight-legged creatures in many ways including as a food source, using their webs for nesting material, and adding spider eggs to the nest for pest control.