Nest and Egg Descriptions
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Descriptions and images of nest, eggs, and nestlings of cavity-nesting birds. Click on the thumbnail images, courtesy of TBN participants, for a larger view.
| Species |
Nest Description | Egg Color | Photo |
| American Kestrel | does not build nest | white, cream, or pinkish-white with fine brown specks and spots |  R. Quolette |
| Ash-throated Flycatcher | rootlets, grass, weed stems, and dry cow or horse dung; nest is lined with fine grasses, matted hair or fur. | oval. smooth and slightly glossy, cream white or ivory marked with streaks or blotches in browns, purples, and grays |  J. Cys |
| Barn Owl | does not build nest | smooth and dull white | SEND US YOUR PHOTO! |
| Black-capped Chickadee | moss and fine plant material; cup lined with hair | white covered with brown speckles |  J. Calabria |
| Brown-headed Nuthatch | husks of pine seeds, bark strips, wood chips, rootlets, grasses, and pine needles; lined with hair, wool, feathers, and cotton | non-glossy, creamy or white, heavily marked with reddish brown spots |  M. Kallackey |
| Carolina Chickadee | moss and fine plant material; cup lined with hair | white covered with brown speckles |  T. Powell |
| Carolina Wren | dome shaped nest made from bark strips, dried grasses, dead leaves, sticks, pine needles, moss, feathers, straw, paper and string; nest is lined with hair or fur | creamy white to pinkish white, heavily spotted with purplish brown to rusty brown flecks |  B. Zimmerman |
| Chestnut-backed Chickadee | moss, bark, grass, ferns, fur, and feathers, cup is lined with milkweed down, fur, and hair | non-glossy and white or cream in color, marked with red-brown specks |  L. Graham |
| Common Goldeneye | eggs placed in mature trees containing cavities | bluish green or olive and slightly glossy. | SEND US YOUR PHOTO! |
| Eastern Bluebird | built with fine grasses or pine needles with a fairly deep nest cup | powder blue or occasionally white |  M. Thomson |
| Eastern Screech Owl | does not build nest, will form a depression from remnant materials in cavity | white to creamy white and slightly glossy |  P. Savoie |
| European Starling | grass, pine needles, feathers, rootlets, paper, plastics, cloth, string, etc.; cup lining is variable and may include feathers, fine bark, leaves, fine grass etc. | pale bluish or greenish white, marked with brown | SEND US YOUR PHOTO! |
| Great Crested Flycatcher | twigs, leaves, pine needles, bark, moss, and rootlets; may line with hair, feathers, and fur | yellow white to buff to cream in color; densely blotched with red, purple, brown, and olive markings | SEND US YOUR PHOTO! |
| Hooded Merganser | cup is lined with down feathers plucked from the female's belly | smooth, glossy white and almost spherical |  P. Savoie |
| House Sparrow | tall nest of coarse grasses, often with pieces of scrap paper, cellophane, or other litter; forms canopy over cup with tunnel-like entrance | cream-colored with brown markings |  B. Zimmerman |
| House Wren | cavity is filled with small twigs, then cup is lined with softer materials such as feathers, hair, wool, rootlets, moss and trash | white to pinkish or buff, marked with blotches of reddish brown or lavender pigment |  B. Zimmerman |
| Mountain Bluebird | built with fine grasses or pine needles with a fairly deep nest cup | powder blue or occasionally white |  A. Reid |
| Mountain Chickadee | moss, bark, fur, plant fibers, and feathers | slightly glossy white eggs, usually unmarked |  D. Sebesta |
| Northern Flicker | excavate cavities and use sawdust | semi-glossy, pure white eggs |  M. Donahue |
| Prothonotary Warbler | moss, lichen, dry leaves, small twigs, and bark strips; nest is lined with fine grasses | glossy white with cream or slightly yellow tinge, may be marked heavily with reddish brown and purplish gray spots |  R. Heflin |
| Purple Martin | grass, stems, twigs, straw, bark, leaves, and mud; lined with fine grasses and green leaves | white, unmarked eggs |  R. Greenwood |
| Red-breasted Nuthatch | grass, rootlets, moss, shredded bark, fur, and hair | non-glossy white or pinkish white eggs speckled with brown, reddish brown, and lavender |  K. Smith |
| Tree Swallow | built with grass or pine needles; cup is usually more shallow that the bluebird's; usually lined with feathers | white |  J. Simonson |
| Tufted Titmouse | leaves, moss, dried grass, and bark strips; lined with feathers, fur, wool, cotton, hair, and sometimes snake skin | smooth, non-glossy white to cream colored eggs, speckled with red, purple, or brown marks |  B. Zimmerman |
| Violet-green Swallow | built with grass or pine needles; cup is usually more shallow that the bluebird's; usually lined with feathers | white |  Z. Lundberg |
| Western Bluebird | built with fine grasses or pine needles with a fairly deep nest cup | powder blue or occasionally white | 
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| Western Screech Owl | does not build nest, will form a depression from remnant materials in cavity | white to creamy white and slightly glossy | SEND US YOUR PHOTO! |
| White-breasted Nuthatch | strips of bark and lumps of earth, cup is made of finer materials such as grass, and rootlets, and lined with hair, fur, wool, and feathers | smooth, slightly glossy white, pinkish white, or cream colored eggs are heavily marked with reddish brown, brown, and purplish red spots |  D. McCartney |
| Wood Duck | layer of grayish white down feathers | creamy white or buff colored |  R. Rau |