eNews December 2025

Old Nests Reveal Ancient Ecology

Bird nests come in all shapes and sizes, some lasting for a season, while others last years, decades, or even centuries! In this month’s blog, we dive into a recent study on Bearded Vulture nests. The research takes a fascinating look into ancient vulture nests that are still in use and the unexpected items found within them that helped scientists determine their age. Read on to see how this new knowledge provides valuable insights into our biocultural history and how we can shape future conservation goals.

Season’s Greetings from NestWatch

NestWatch wishes all our participants a happy and safe holiday season. May the new year bring an abundance of successfully nesting birds!

Reminder: NestWatch offices will be closed for Winter Break from Dec. 24 through Jan. 2. Please be sure to send any end-of-year questions to us as soon as possible.

New Tennessee Chapters

Our newest NestWatch Chapters are Shelby County Bluebird Club in Memphis, and Chattanooga Bluebird Society based in Hixon. Welcome!

Year-end Request

It’s the end of 2025 already! Data can be entered at any time, but submit by Dec. 31 if you’d like to be included in our annual report, the NestWatch Digest.

NestWatch Tip of the Month

The NestWatch mobile app is a great tool for data entry while you’re out in the field visiting nests. It’ll work even if you don’t have any cellular service, but be sure to periodically check your “Unsynced Data” tab in the app to ensure all of your data has successfully synced with the NestWatch database. Find more app tips in the Data Entry section of our FAQ!

Submission of the Month

Dr. Stefan Heitefuss recently submitted this photo of a Western Barn Owl nest in Germany. Barn owl eggs hatch asynchronously, so despite the obvious age differences in these chicks (excluding the adult in back), they are indeed all siblings from the same clutch! 

Want a chance to be featured here? Be sure to submit photos with your nest visit data.