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Photo © Keith Williams

November 2021 News


NestWatching for the Outdoor Classroom

Curious about NestWatch but still not sure what is involved in participating? Check out this 10-minute video from Fair Glen Outdoor Education Centre to learn how your family or class can get involved in NestWatch. From learning how to identify the mystery nest you’ve found, to cleaning nest boxes and reporting data, this video will orient you to the basics. You can sign up and prepare now for when you find that first nest!


Whooo’s Nesting Now?

Although Halloween is almost here, that doesn’t mean the nests are all empty. Barn Owls are a species that can be found nesting almost year round in the warmer parts of its breeding range. NestWatchers in Virginia were lucky enough to spot this new clutch in mid-October via a nest box camera. If you live within the breeding range and appropriate habitat type, you can install a nest box for Barn Owls too.


California Data Upload

This month we are grateful to Lee Pauser and Kristen Vehling of California for contributing a bulk upload of 524 nests! Covering 14 species and ~36 square miles in one year is no easy feat, so we tip our hats to them!

If you have an unwieldy number of nest records to submit, consider using our bulk upload tool to import large numbers of nest records directly into NestWatch.


Supplemental Feeding & Nesting Birds

One of the most-asked questions we hear at NestWatch is, “Should I feed my birds during nesting season, or do they already have plenty of food?” In this month’s blog, we shed light on this question drawing from two recently published studies from NestWatch.

As is often the case with birds, not all species respond the same way to additional resources like supplemental food. Using three focal species (Eastern Bluebird, Carolina Chickadee, and Black-capped Chickadee) and 24,528 nest records submitted by NestWatchers, we delve into why bluebirds might benefit, but chickadees don’t seem to get a boost. Get the full scoop on our blog.

Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Cornell Lab of Ornithology