Make life easier for your backyard birds by setting out items they can use to build their nests. Good choices are 6-inch lengths of string and yarn as well as fur from your cat or dog's comb.

Discover how long baby birds stay in the nest, how long it takes bird eggs to hatch, how baby birds learn to fly and more ...

Shutterstock I would please like to know how birds make their nests? How do they know how to weave the twigs together and what makes the twigs stick together? – Miguel, age 10, Brisbane Hi ...

A variety of birds build cup nests, which are often held steady by a base of twigs, bark shreds, grasses and mosses. They’re also held together by a layer of mud, spiderwebs, fur and hair.

But why do birds put so much effort into nest-building, and how do they instinctively know what to do? 2 / 6. The real purpose. Birds build nests mainly to keep their eggs and chicks safe.

When asked a similar question a few years ago about birds using snake skins in their nests, I referred to a study by ornithologists Elizabeth Medlin and Tom Risch of Arkansas State University.

Some birds choose to build nests close to humans, hoping that our presence will scare off predators. Unfortunately, their choices aren’t always the best or the safest.

Hi Miguel, thanks for this great question! The first thing to know is not all birds make nests. For example, emperor penguin fathers carry their precious egg on their feet (to keep it off the ...

Some birds, such as cuckoos, will lay their eggs in someone else's nests. Others lay them on the ground among leaves or pebbles, or on cliffs with very little protection. For the birds that do ...