- A bird's primary consideration when choosing a nesting site is security. Protection from predators and proximity to food is of vital importance to the success of a bird's offspring.
- You increase the chance of a Black-capped Chickadees using a nestbox when it has a few inches of wood chips on the bottom of the box.
- The one-foot-long hanging nest of a Bushtit resembles an Oriole’s nest and is woven out of a variety of materials including mosses, lichens, leaves and spider's webs.
- The nest of the Ruby-throated Hummingbird is about the size of a walnut and is camouflaged with lichen, making them very difficult to locate.
- Chimney Swifts build their nest in chimneys, tree cavities and on walls by gluing twigs together with their sticky saliva.
- Male Red-bellied Woodpeckers may start excavating multiple cavities but the female chooses the one they'll use.
- Eastern Phoebes may use the same nest site repeatedly, sometimes building right on top of the old nest.
- Chipping Sparrows line their nests with animal hair, preferably horse hair.
- Tree Swallows line their nests with light-colored feathers.
- The Rose-breasted Grosbeak nest is so flimsy the eggs might be visible from below.
- American Crows do not breed until they are between two to four years old and they often stay with their parents and help them raise the young of following years. Family groups may include over a dozen individuals from five different years.
- Tufted Titmice often line their nest with animal hair. They have been known to pluck those hairs from live animals or even from humans!
- The Cactus Wren builds an elaborate gourd-shaped nest in about ten days, and may fuss with improvements for another several weeks.
- The Great Crested Flycatcher nests in a cavity and will usually include a piece of snakeskin in its lining.
- Male House Wrens will start multiple nests, letting the female choose the best nest to use for their brood.
From material provided by WBU, Inc. and from Lives of North American Birds by Kenn Kaufman
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