What made that bird decide to make her nests on your house? Why your house? Every spring, the birds come flocking in to dig in and build the nests they’ll use to raise their babies. You might be ok with that part, but with bird families come territorial mothers, loud noises at all hours, and, of course,
the DROPPING problem. While the specifics vary by species, it’s easy enough to figure out what most birds are looking for in an ideal nesting spot. Look for places where you could be providing one or more of these four main checkmarks on the “best nesting community of 2017” list, and you’ll know why the birds love you so much.
The most important thing birds need in a nesting location is safety. They want to lay their eggs and care for them in a place where opportunistic predators can’t harass them. Luckily for birds, they can fly. Most birds make their nests high up in the air simply because it’s tough for predators to reach them there.
When you think of nests, you probably picture a cute little nest in the nook of a tree, but real birds aren’t as picky. Any nook, ledge, or cranny on your home could be a surface where a bird could build its nests. Look in window sills, gutters and downspouts, railings, slanted roofing, shingles, corners–really anywhere with enough space to cram some nesting material will do just fine.
Birds have the flying advantage over most predators, but not all of them. Hawks, owls, and other flying predators will happily scoop up an egg or two for breakfast if they have the chance. If mom gets distracted caring for her kids, they’ll even eat her, too! To deal with flying predators, birds look for places where they can hide or at least partially cover their nests
There’s a reason the cliche of the nest in the nook is ubiquitous; a nook provides great cover in every direction but one. Birds look for high places in homes where they can nest. They’ve been known to build inside of plumbing ventilation shafts, chimneys, garages, damaged shingles, or gutters. The tighter and harder to spot a place is, the better protection it will give them and their vulnerable eggs.
