You might be one of the many people who love spending time watching birds. There are so many different types of birds, and it can be a lot of fun to see how many different ones you can spot in your area.
Having a better idea of where birds like to nest might make it easier to know where to find them. This sort of knowledge can also help when you don’t want birds to nest on certain parts of your property.
Where do birds build nests? Are there some common spots that you should know about?
Read on to learn more about birds and the spots where they often like to build nests. This should help you out a lot since you’ll know where the likely nesting spots in your area will be located.
1 – In Trees
Probably the most common and obvious place that birds nest will be trees. Many types of birds will make nests in trees.
You should be able to spot many birds just by looking around forested areas. Keep an eye on the trees and you could see birds emerging from them.
If you have several trees on your property, then birds might wind up nesting somewhere in your yard. This can be a good thing for those who wish to attract birds.
Different types of birds might prefer different types of trees. Depending on what trees you have in your yard, you might wind up seeing many birds when the season is right.
2 – In Bushes
You might also find birds nesting in some of your bushes. Many types of birds will also nest in bushes when it’s convenient to do so.
This is why it’s important to check bushes before you start trimming them. You don’t want to start using a hedge trimmer and then accidentally take a bird’s life.
Birds will sometimes nest pretty deep inside of a bush, too. This means that you really have to check the bush thoroughly to see if any birds are present.
Bushes can add a lot of beauty to your property, and they’ll be great sources of protection and good for local animals. Not only will the birds appreciate them, but so will local squirrels and other types of wildlife.
3 – In the Ground
Did you know that some birds nest in the ground? Not all birds will do this, but there are birds known as ovenbirds that do so.
Essentially, they create a nest that resembles a Dutch oven. There will be a little entrance on the side where the birds can go in and out.
This isn’t the most common type of nest setup, but it’s definitely interesting. These nests can provide birds with good protection when they put them in safe spots.
4 – Under Bridges
If you’re looking for spots to look for birds, then you can actually find some underneath bridges. Many birds will nest in various spots underneath bridges.
Try looking around bridges to see if you can spot any birds. There’s a good chance that you’re going to be able to spot quite a few.
Bridges give birds convenient spots where they can place nests. They’ll be able to put nests in many different nooks and crannies that the bridges have.
5 – On Balconies
If you live in an apartment complex or a home that has a balcony, then you might see birds nesting somewhere on the balcony. Birds often make nests somewhere in the corner of balcony areas.
Many people like being able to look outside their windows and see birds. Others might find this to be very annoying.
There are ways that you can deter birds from making nests on your balcony. One idea is to use an ultrasonic repellent device.
These devices emit sounds that scare birds away. If you’re not a fan of birds chirping and waking you up in the morning, then this will be well-worth looking into.
You might have some luck with placing decoys on the balcony, too. You could buy hawk or owl decoys to try to scare other birds away.
6 – Air Conditioning Units
There’s a good chance that you’ve seen birds making nests on air conditioning units in the past. In urban areas, it’s very common for birds to do this.
Many birds see air conditioners as reliable spots that will support a nest. They’ll gather the necessary materials and build a nest right on top of the air conditioning units.
Depending on the design of the air conditioner, some birds might even manage to get inside of the AC unit. This is definitely not a good thing, and it’ll be dangerous for the birds.
They’ll be in for a shock when you decide to run the air conditioner. You can try to keep birds from nesting on your AC units by using bird netting near the units.
7 – Uncovered Vents
There are likely going to be various vents all over your house. These vents are important for air circulation, and some of them might release hot air from various home appliances.
Birds will sometimes choose to make nests in your uncovered vents. This isn’t a good place for a nest, but birds don’t know any better.
This is why you should have all of the vents covered in some way. This will make it so that birds won’t be able to create nests on or in the vents.
You’ll save yourself a lot of trouble by covering the vents properly. After all, you don’t want any of the birds in the area getting hurt by trying to build nests in bad spots.
8 – Chimneys
Another inconvenient spot where birds might try to nest on your property is the chimney. If you have a chimney, then you should know that some birds might choose to nest there.
In areas that have large pigeon populations, it’s pretty common for pigeons to make nests in chimneys. This is actually very dangerous for the birds, though.
You see, it’s possible that a pigeon could get stuck in the chimney and become unable to get out. In this situation, the pigeon might die inside the chimney.
It isn’t unusual at all for those who run chimney cleaning businesses to find dead birds in chimneys. To keep this from happening, it might be a good idea to cap your chimney.
9 – Gutters
It’s possible that you might find birds nesting somewhere in your gutters. Many people have gutters that will make appealing nesting spots for birds.
This won’t really be a good spot, but it’ll look good to the birds at first. When the rain comes and washes the nest away, they won’t be happy.
You definitely don’t want birds nesting in your gutters. It can prevent water from draining properly and will likely cause it to pool up.
Simply buying guards for your gutters should do the trick. It’ll prevent birds from being able to lay nests directly in the gutters.
10 – Roofs
Of course, birds might choose to lay their nests right on your roof. Many people have spotted birds making nests on roofs in their neighborhoods.
Generally, this should be harmless and you can leave the birds alone. It can get annoying if you don’t like the birds making noise, though.
You can try to deter birds from nesting on your roof somewhere using many of the methods mentioned earlier. Ultrasonic repellent devices or decoys should work nicely here.
There are also sprays that are supposed to repel birds from the area. These may or may not work well, and you’ll likely have to use the spray often due to rain washing it away.
Final Thoughts
Depending on how you feel about birds, you’ll either be happy to see birds nesting in your area or annoyed. If you’re someone who likes to watch birds, then it’ll be nice to have them nesting in a safe spot on your property.
The bad thing is that birds don’t always choose safe spots to put their nests. They might try to build nests on your air conditioning units or in your gutters.
You should do what you can to try to make it impossible for birds to build nests in some of the less convenient spots around your property. Place guards on your gutters and consider putting netting around the air conditioning units.
Netting works pretty well to keep birds from getting on balconies as well, but it could be an eyesore depending on your sensibilities. Ultrasonic repellent devices, decoys, and even reflective tape can help out if you’d like to go another route.
Hopefully, the birds will stick to nesting in the trees and bushes on your property. Just be careful to check bushes for nests before you start trimming them.
If you’re looking for spots to go out and watch for birds, then trying some unusual locations such as under bridges will be worthwhile. Many birds nest under bridges, and you’ll likely be able to find some in your local area assuming that you know a good spot to park.
Now that you know more about where birds like to nest, it’ll help you to figure out what you want to do. This information should help you in many ways, and this means that you don’t need to be a bird-watching enthusiast to benefit.
Ben has a bachelor’s degree in construction engineering. When not constructing or remodeling X-Ray Rooms, Cardiovascular Labs, and Pharmacies, you can find him at home with wife and two daughters. Outside of family, He loves grilling and barbequing on his Big Green Egg and Blackstone Griddle, as well as working on projects around the house.
--
If you want more backyard tips including recipes, how-tos and more, make sure you subscribe to my youtube channel