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

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  • Region

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  • Nest Type

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  • Habitat

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  • Substrate

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  • 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

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  • American Kestrel

    Falco sparverius

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  • 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

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  • Eastern Bluebird

    Sialia sialis

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  • Eastern Phoebe

    Sayornis phoebe

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  • Eastern Towhee

    Pipilo erythrophthalmus

    view

  • Gray Catbird

    Dumetella carolinensis

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  • 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

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  • Lazuli Bunting

    Passerina amoena

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  • Lesser Goldfinch

    Spinus psaltria

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  • Mountain Bluebird

    Sialia currucoides

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  • Mountain Chickadee

    Poecile gambeli

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  • Mourning Dove

    Zenaida macroura

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  • Northern Cardinal

    Cardinalis cardinalis

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  • Northern Mockingbird

    Mimus polyglottos

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  • Oak Titmouse

    Baeolophus inornatus

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  • Purple Martin

    Progne subis

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  • Red-winged Blackbird

    Agelaius phoeniceus

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  • Rose-breasted Grosbeak

    Pheucticus ludovicianus

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  • Say’s Phoebe

    Sayornis saya

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  • Song Sparrow

    Melospiza melodia

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  • Spotted Towhee

    Pipilo maculatus

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  • Tree Swallow

    Tachycineta bicolor

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  • Tufted Titmouse

    Baeolophus bicolor

    view

  • Violet-green Swallow

    Tachycineta thalassina

    view

  • Western Bluebird

    Sialia mexicana

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  • Wood Duck

    Aix sponsa

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  • Woodhouse’s Scrub-Jay

    Aphelocoma woodhouseii

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Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Cornell Lab of Ornithology