How Do Birds Build Nests? (5 Key Types)

Nest building is a complex endeavor and there is no “one size fits all” design. Some species work together, while for others, the male or female controls the process of choosing a site, gathering materials, and actually building.

Read on to learn more about construction techniques as we dig into how to answer the question: How do birds build their nests?

Birds need a safe and secure place to lay their eggs. The nest needs to be strong enough to withstand hatching and raising the hatchlings until they feather. Different species use a variety of styles, including cupped nests, woven nests, branch platforms, cavities, and ground scratches.

Some birds build elaborate nests, while for others a simple scratch on the ground is enough. The materials used will depend largely on what is available nearby, the size and dexterity of the species.

Some birds will overhaul and reuse old nests for subsequent broods, while others will start from scratch for each new nest and may abandon it if they (or their mates) are unhappy with their efforts Nesting starts all over again.

Using only their beaks and sometimes their feet, the birds gather and transport material, then make, weave, pack, smooth, stack and shape their nests, a job that can take a day or two to three weeks or more .

Read on to learn more about the more ambitious nest designs some birds use, and learn how they learn these building skills.

Two white storks building a nest for their young

different types of nests

The nest needs to be strong enough to support a brood of increasingly active chicks and withstand the elements.

Location affects the materials available, and the site chosen is influenced by a bird’s instinct to build in the safest, most secluded place it can find.

Below, let’s take a look at several common bird’s nest types.

cup socket

The classic nest style of cup-shaped structure is used by many backyard birds, including robins, warblers, finches, and cardinals. The female chooses the site, usually supported by a branch at a tree fork or deep in a bush or hedge. Construction is usually done by women alone, while men may bring twigs and other materials to help.

A loose circular frame of twigs, twigs and grass is secured with mud. The interior is cupped by the bird’s wings and beak, then lined with moss, soft plant parts, feathers or animal fur. Construction usually takes no more than a week.

American robin’s cupped nest

weaving bird’s nest

Weaverbirds and orioles build some of nature’s most intricate nests out of grass, straw and even spider webs. A very intricate knotting and interweaving process takes place over the course of several days, stringing together individual grass blades to form hanging domes or pouch-like shelters.

In weaverbirds, the male is responsible for building the nest, and the female will choose a mate based on the design and sturdiness of the structure that most impresses her. Male orioles may help provide nesting material, but the weaving is done by the female alone, which takes 12 to 15 days.

King Kong nesting

Empty Nest

Woodpeckers, nuthatches, and some waterfowl such as wood ducks are known for burrow nesting. Some will dig a new cavity in a decaying tree trunk, while others will take advantage of an abandoned burrow that was used by another bird in the past.

Male woodpeckers may take days to weeks to complete the digging task, after which they may add a lining of down and feathers for comfort as egg laying and hatching begin.

Pileated woodpecker chick viewed from empty nest

particle nest

Swallows, barn swallows and purple swallows use up to 1,000 grains of wet mud to build cup-shaped nests. They nest together in pairs on vertical surfaces such as walls or the bottom of bridges for up to three weeks. Old nests can be reused in subsequent years, and repairing an existing nest is preferable to starting over.

Barn swallow’s pellet nest

giant lair

Storks, herons, and many birds of prey, such as bald eagles and ospreys, use large, cluttered platforms of sturdy branches, lined with leaves, or smaller branches. The nest is shallow and the place where the eggs are laid is slightly sloped. Nest building is cooperative, with the male procuring materials and the female doing most of the building work.

Rooks are known for their large, random nests in tall trees. They find a spot at a fork in the road between branches and fly over it, dropping branches repeatedly. Many branches fall off, but some stay in place and gradually develop into a large nest, which is then lined with soft leaves and feathers.

Huge nest of bald eagles

How long does it take a bird to build a nest?

Nest building can take anywhere from a few days to three weeks or more. Almost as long as you identify a spot, you can simply scrape the ground, and there are almost no branches and grass. Nighthawks don’t even travel that far, laying eggs directly on the forest floor.

A simple platform built by pigeons and doves that requires minimal construction time and effort and can be completed in a few days. However, these fragile nests often fail and construction needs to be started from scratch.

Elaborate nests take longer to make: the house marten’s clay nest takes up to three weeks to perfect, while the weaver bird takes up to four weeks to complete its elaborately woven structure.

Martin’s Nest

How do birds know how to build nests?

Whether a bird instinctively knows how to build a certain style of nest, or whether it’s a learned skill, has been the subject of much research.

One theory is that birds are born with the ability to make specific types of nests. Others believe that birds study empty nests, which gives them an idea of ​​what is needed and what works before they start building their own nests.

The findings suggest that “practice makes perfect”, with many early nesting attempts being abandoned in favor of later nests built using improved techniques learned from experience.

How many times will a bird try to build a nest?

Some birds, including the Australian Willie wagtail, are known perfectionists, destroying nests mid-construction if they are not satisfied with their progress, and reusing the materials to start over. If the nest fails early in its construction, the bird will instinctively start over until it goes according to plan.

Willie wagtail sitting in the nest

What do birds do when their nests are destroyed?

Nests can be destroyed for a number of reasons, including inclement weather, predator attacks, or accidental (or even deliberate) human activity. Birds may respond in different ways, depending on whether they have chicks to care for, or how late the breeding season is.

Many birds will abandon the nest entirely and rebuild elsewhere. Cavity nesters look for new holes in different trees. Some birds may attempt to repair a damaged nest or re-use materials from their initial nest to build a new nest, but if the entire nest is destroyed, including any unhatched eggs or chicks, the only option is to start over.

Certain species, such as northern cardinals, will create two nests during the breeding season in response to multiple litters, and if one of the nests is destroyed, they will only move to the second nest.

Female northern cardinal collecting nesting material

Will a bird return to a disturbed nest?

If a bird senses that its nest and eggs are threatened, it will likely leave the site and start over elsewhere. If a potential predator disturbs the nest, the bird will feel too insecure to continue trying to raise chicks there. Any unhatched eggs will be discarded and the birds will not return to continue hatching.

Most bird species have a strong instinct to protect their young, especially when they are close to their feathers.

Most birds are unable to take their young to a new nest, and unless the threat is persistent and severe, the mother is more likely to stay and do her best to protect her chicks.

Materials You Can Omit to Help Birds Build Nests

Planting cuttings, hay and natural fibers in hedges or hanging baskets will allow nesting birds to swoop in and pick out anything that catches their eye.

Robins, nanmu and barn swallows welcome muddy pools or puddles, and they use wet mud to build their nests.

It is not recommended to leave out pet fur or human hair. Pet fur treated with chemicals for fleas or worms can be toxic to birds and, according to research, has killed chicks. Human hair with traces of shampoo and other products may also be unsafe for birds.

Martin House collects mud for nesting