Photo ©
Glenda Simmons
Predators Near the Nest: Bluebirds Weigh the Risks
When it comes to predators near the nest, do birds leave after just one observation? A recent study suggests that simply observing a predator at the nest box one time is not likely to cause abandonment.
On Cowbirds and Changelings: is there more to the lore?
How did the bizarre folklore of the “changeling” child first enter European literature? Could an avian reproductive strategy called “brood parasitism” have served as inspiration? This week, we explore the origins of this fanciful myth by examining real-life changelings (i.e., cowbirds and cuckoos).
Inspection Cams Bring Nests Into View
Have you found a nest that is hard to check? Maybe a nest inspection camera is the right tool for you! Read on to learn about this technical solution to monitoring nests that are in tight spots.
Sold! Realtors Take On The Owl Housing Market
When a husband-and-wife team in the real estate business set out to build a Barred Owl nest box, they hoped their listing would please the local owls that were heard calling around their new property. In time, it did, but they had to put in some sweat equity to make it happen. Read our new blog post about their journey and the lessons learned. This box will be the envy of the neighborhood!
New Homes For Birds On The Walnut River
She may not be old enough to drive yet, but 14-year-old Katelyn Shelton didn’t let that stop her from creating a nest box trail in her neighborhood. A contributor to NestWatch, Katelyn shares her enthusiasm for birds and conservation as a guest blogger.
Five Nests To Find This Year
This year we’re asking NestWatchers to accept our challenge to find one nest of a species you’ve never monitored before. For inspiration, we illustrated five beloved backyard birds that nest near people. Download and print the images as a reminder, and read on to learn how to find the nests of these “outside the box” nesters.
Operation Bluebird: project-based learning takes a community
On a farm in Ohio, middle school students are learning about bluebirds and other cavity-nesting birds by monitoring nests for NestWatch. Kate Anderson told us how Operation Bluebird got its start, and offers a model that other land trusts and conservation organizations can use to introduce youth to birds and citizen science.
Bluebirds And Fall Foliage Have Something In Common
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.
Understanding an Ecological Trap
Birds don’t choose where to place a nest arbitrarily…they rely on signals from the environment, such as cavity size, food availability, and abundance of predators nearby. But sometimes those signals become uncoupled from actual habitat quality. Learn how you can reduce the risk of setting an “ecological trap.”
Predator Guards Carry Their Weight
It took just four years to answer the decades-old question of “Are predator guards on nest boxes actually helpful?” With the power of citizen science, NestWatchers helped us use the best science available in a national study of cavity-nesting birds.