Blog

Humans use scarecrows to scare away birds, but do birds also use scare tactics to repel predators from their nests? Our latest research suggests that they do, and NestWatchers may have even witnessed it in action. Read on to find out how birds try to frighten away ghouls from the nest.

Building safe and healthy communities for both birds and people has never been more necessary, but it doesn’t happen by chance. It happens when we join forces to identify a need, pool resources to accomplish a goal, and communicate the successes—and challenges—with the broader community. Read our thoughts on how to scale up your NestWatching to the community level.

Many songbirds are nesting earlier in spring because of warmer temperatures brought about by climate change. But the shift brings another danger that is especially deadly for nestlings: greater exposure to temperature variability in the form of cold snaps and heat waves. A new study from Cornell documents that such extremes result in more nest failures.

You’ve heard of getting your “omega-3s”, but did you know that birds need them too? According to new research utilizing NestWatch data, insect-eating birds may struggle to get their omega-3s under climate change. Read about how nutritional peaks (i.e., insect emergences) are changing in this new research summary.

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.

What do bluebirds and fall foliage have in common? It turns out, quite a lot! Our guest student blogger uses her artist’s eye to spot surprising similarities in nature that might otherwise go unnoticed.

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.

Have you ever experienced mysterious, almost perfectly circular holes appearing in your nest boxes? If so, you might have other winged creatures trying to lay eggs in your nest box—carpenter bees! These pollinators have a habit of boring into wood to lay their eggs, which can damage nest boxes. We explore carpenter bee identification and habits, plus share some tips to prevent and repair the damage.

In one of the most comprehensive studies on the effects of noise and light pollution on nesting birds published to date, researchers find a variety of detrimental impacts to reproduction. Data collected by NestWatchers across the country, combined with maps of noise and light pollution, show heterogeneous effects on nesting success, clutch size, hatching failure, and timing of nesting.