Scheduled Downtime: From 6:00 a.m. on March 19 to 6:00 a.m. EDT on March 21, NestWatch will undergo scheduled maintenance. During this time NestWatch data entry will be unavailable. ×

Common Nesting Birds

meet your neighbors

NestWatch accepts data on all North American breeding birds. However, you are likely to encounter many of these species nesting in your backyards, neighborhoods, and parks. We are seeking nesting data on these species in particular because they are common, widely-distributed, convenient to monitor, and tolerant of nest checking. If you find a nest, use the filters to help discover what species could have made it. Or, click on a bird to learn more about its nesting habits.


Filter Common Nesting Birds

reset all filters
  • Region

    click to select
  • Nest Type

    click to select
  • Habitat

    click to select
  • Substrate

    click to select
  • East
  • West
  • Scrape
  • Cup
  • Saucer
  • Platform
  • Cavity
  • Burrow
  • Pendant
  • Sphere/Dome
  • Desert
  • Forest
  • Grassland
  • Lake
  • Marsh
  • Mountain
  • Ocean
  • Open Woodland
  • River
  • Shore
  • Shrub
  • Town
  • Scrape
  • Ground
  • Floating Vegetation
  • Cliff/Rock
  • Post, Pole, or Platform
  • Nest Box/Birdhouse
  • Live Tree Branch
  • Bush/Shrub
  • Dead Tree Branch
  • Vine/Tangle
  • In/On Building
  • Live Tree Cavity
  • Dead Tree Cavity/Snag
  • Reeds
  • American Goldfinch

    Spinus tristis

    view
  • American Kestrel

    Falco sparverius

    view
  • American Robin

    Turdus migratorius

    view
  • Ash-throated Flycatcher

    Myiarchus cinerascens

    view
  • Barn Swallow

    Hirundo rustica

    view
  • Bewick’s Wren

    Thryomanes bewickii

    view
  • Black-capped Chickadee

    Poecile atricapillus

    view
  • Black-headed Grosbeak

    Pheucticus melanocephalus

    view
  • Blue Grosbeak

    Passerina caerulea

    view
  • Brown Thrasher

    Toxostoma rufum

    view
  • California Scrub-Jay

    Aphelocoma californica

    view
  • Carolina Chickadee

    Poecile carolinensis

    view
  • Carolina Wren

    Thryothorus ludovicianus

    view
  • Chestnut-backed Chickadee

    Poecile rufescens

    view
  • Dark-eyed Junco

    Junco hyemalis

    view
  • Eastern Bluebird

    Sialia sialis

    view
  • Eastern Phoebe

    Sayornis phoebe

    view
  • Eastern Towhee

    Pipilo erythrophthalmus

    view
  • Gray Catbird

    Dumetella carolinensis

    view
  • Great Crested Flycatcher

    Myiarchus crinitus

    view
  • House Finch

    Carpodacus mexicanus

    view
  • House Wren

    Troglodytes aedon

    view
  • Indigo Bunting

    Passerina cyanea

    view
  • Juniper Titmouse

    Baeolophus griseus

    view
  • Lazuli Bunting

    Passerina amoena

    view
  • Lesser Goldfinch

    Spinus psaltria

    view
  • Mountain Bluebird

    Sialia currucoides

    view
  • Mountain Chickadee

    Poecile gambeli

    view
  • Mourning Dove

    Zenaida macroura

    view
  • Northern Cardinal

    Cardinalis cardinalis

    view
  • Northern Mockingbird

    Mimus polyglottos

    view
  • Oak Titmouse

    Baeolophus inornatus

    view
  • Purple Martin

    Progne subis

    view
  • Red-winged Blackbird

    Agelaius phoeniceus

    view
  • Rose-breasted Grosbeak

    Pheucticus ludovicianus

    view
  • Say’s Phoebe

    Sayornis saya

    view
  • Song Sparrow

    Melospiza melodia

    view
  • Spotted Towhee

    Pipilo maculatus

    view
  • Tree Swallow

    Tachycineta bicolor

    view
  • Tufted Titmouse

    Baeolophus bicolor

    view
  • Violet-green Swallow

    Tachycineta thalassina

    view
  • Western Bluebird

    Sialia mexicana

    view
  • Wood Duck

    Aix sponsa

    view
  • Woodhouse’s Scrub-Jay

    Aphelocoma woodhouseii

    view

Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Cornell Lab of Ornithology