NestWatch: Community Science in Your Backyard

An Eastern Bluebird nest progresses from hatch day through day 9.

by Sarah Manning, Coastal Conservation Coordinator
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Over the course of a month, the bluebirds in my backyard went from hatched and helpless, to fully feathered and fledged! The best part? I got to experience it all through NestWatch.

NestWatch is a monitoring program designed to track status and trends in the reproductive biology of birds, including when nesting occurs, number of eggs laid, how many eggs hatch, and how many hatchlings survive. 

If you have a nest (or box) in your backyard, consider joining the effort. Participating in NestWatch is easy and just about anyone can do it. Simply follow the directions on the website to become a certified NestWatcher, find a bird nest using their helpful tips, visit the nest every three to four days and record what you see, and then share the information on the NestWatch website.

This spring, I monitored my backyard bluebird box through NestWatch. Following Cornell’s guides, I visited the box every three to four days, monitoring its progression throughout the incubating and brooding stages. I reported my visits through their site and contributed to a program that, in 2023, recorded 36,035 nest attempts by 294 species in the U.S. and Canada.

From my office,  I watched the adults (all day long) dutifully pick insects out of my yard and carry them to the nest, leaving soon after with the young’s waste in tow. Being able to get a glimpse into the life cycle of these birds and knowing I can contribute to this project has made me feel even more connected to the birds in my backyard. It is also a great reminder that growing native plants contributes significantly to the reproductive success of your local birds since insects are the bulk of many baby birds’ diet. For example, Chickadees require 6,000 to 9,000 caterpillars to rear one clutch of young!

NestWatch data is intended to be used to study the current condition of breeding bird populations and how they may be changing over time as a result of climate change, habitat degradation and loss, expansion of urban areas, and the introduction of non-native plants and animals. Thanks to NestWatch data, we know that many songbirds are now nesting earlier in spring because of warmer temperatures brought about by climate change. 

Your observations will be added to those of thousands of other NestWatchers in a continually growing database used by researchers to understand and study birds. And while you are contributing extremely valuable information to science, you will learn firsthand about birds and create a lifelong bond with the natural world.

Questions on how to participate? Contact Coastal Conservation Coordinator, Sarah Manning via email. 

On day 12, it’s looking a bit crowded here! The young bluebirds are nearly ready to fledge - NestWatch recommends against checking after day 12 so young are not forced to fledge before they are ready. I watched from a distance and on day 16, the young left the nest on their own. Photo by Sarah Manning.