Funky Nests Fun Facts!
Did You Know?
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Rock Pigeon nests might be as simple as a couple of sticks collected on a flat platform. Parents incubate the eggs for 18 days. |
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Photo of Rock Pigeon nest by Pauline Schafer & Tobias Hagge, TX |
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| Barn Swallows might make more than 1200 trips with a mouthful of mud to build their nest. |
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Photo of swallow's nest by Karen Campbell, Turkey |
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Small birds might bring food to the nest from 4 to 12 times an hour! |
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Female House Sparrow feeding young, by Terri Sabados, West Long Branch, NJ |
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| Mice and chipmunks pose a significant threat to birds because they like to eat eggs in nests. Cold weather can also be a problem. |
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American Robin egg/nestling photo by 5-year old Meridian Stiller, Virginia Beach, VA |
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Some birds, like House Sparrows, like to nest in a protected hole, or cavity. They will collect nest material and bring it to the nest...can you see the artificial forsythia in this nest outside a craft store? |
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House Sparrow nest by Stacey Wyman, Somersworth, NH |
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| American Robins might nest three times a year, but only 40% of those nests will produce young |
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American Robin nest photo by Charlotte and Colin Whiteford, Raleigh, NC |
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Common Ravens might nest on a cliff, in the crook of a tall tree, a power line tower, or here by a library. They usually prefer places where there is less human foot traffic...is this a hint that fewer students are visiting the library at this college? |
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Common Raven nests by Rachel Graham, San Diego, CA |
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| Some birds build their nests in places that may inconvenience humans, but are perfect for birds. Birds look for places that provide shelter and are safe from predators. They defend their breeding territory. |
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Nest in urinal photographed by Vincent O'Brien, Austin, TX |
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Birds get a cue from day length about when to start nest-building, as
the days get longer there will probably be more sun, more warmth, and
more food, so it's the right time to build a nest and raise babies. |
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Swallow's nest photographed by Graeme Rosenau, Juneau, Alaska |
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| This solar panel might protect this nest from weather and keep it hidden from predators..what a clever bird to use this space! |
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American Robin nest under solar panel by Kirk Mona, St Paul, MN |
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Sometimes birds bring in plant materials with chemical properties that will help them repel mites, to help keep their nest parasite-free. This grill would have made a nice cavity nest until someone raised the hood! |
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Nest in grill by Chuck Branch, Broken Arrow, OK |
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| Baby birds have brightly colored beaks that show the parent where to put the food! They have baby feathers, or down. It takes a lot of protein to grow big grown-up feathers! Insects are a good source of protein. |
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Northern Mockingbird baby photographed by Marian Mendez, Hialeah, FL |
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