Nesting Habits of Some Common Backyard Birds
| Species | Breeding Period | Nesting Materials | Where | Eggs | Incubation Period | # of Broods |
| E. Bluebird | March-July | Grasses, pine needles, weeds, lining of fine grass | Cavity (see bluebird houses here)* | 4-5
Clear blue |
13-14 days | 2-3 |
| Cardinal | March-August | Weed stems, twigs, bark, grasses, leaves | Shrub or tree | 3-4
Gray-buff brown specks |
12-13 days | 1-3 |
| Chickadee | April-July | Wood chips, moss, hair, feathers, downy fibers | Cavity (see chickadee houses here) | 6
White with red-brown speckles |
11-12 days | 1-2 |
| Goldfinch | June-September | Woven plant fibers, tightly lined with thistle or milkweed down | Hedges or trees | 4-6
Very pale blue |
12-14 days | 1 |
| House Finch | March-July | Twigs, rootlets, grass, and other debris | Almost anywhere | 4-5
White to pale buff |
12-14 days | 1-3 |
| Carolina Wren | March-July | Bark, grasses, leaves, mosses, feathers, lined with hair or fur | Cavity (see wren houses here)* | 4-5 Creamy to pinkish white with brown flecks |
12-14 days | 1-3 |
| House Wren | April-July | Bark, grasses, leaves, mosses, feathers, lined with hair or fur | Cavity (see wren houses here)* | 6-8 Glossy pinkish white with brownish flecks |
13-15 days | 1-2 |
| Blue Jay | March-July | Twigs, moss, dry grass, dry mud, leaves | Trees & shrubs | 4-5
Olive to dull blue |
16-18 days | 1-2 |
| White Breasted Nuthatch | May-July | Bark, roots, grass | Cavity (see nuthatch houses here)* | 5-6
White w/brown specks |
12 days | 1 |
| Robin | April-July | Grass & mud, lined with fine grass | Trees & shrubs (see a nesting shelf here)* | 3-6
Pastel blue |
12-14 days | 2-3 |
| Purple Martin | Mar-June | Grass, stems, twigs, straw, bark, leaves, and mud lined with fine grasses and green leaves | Cavity (see purple martin houses here)* | 4-6 White unmarked |
15-16 days | 1 |
| Phoebe | Grass, moss & mud, lined with hair and feathers | Builds under eaves of house or under a bridge (see a nesting shelf here)* | 4-5
White, unmarked |
14-16 days | 2 |