Do birds like robins come back to the same nest each year?
Many birds, including the robin, return to same general nest site year after year, but not necessarily to the same nest, says Scott Craven, professor of wildlife ecology at UW-Madison. If the nest was built in a location that’s been altered, the bird may be compelled to find a new location. Most perching birds only use a nest once, Craven adds, although a few songbirds will use the same nest for successive broods during a single season. If the nest fails, however, the female is likely to build another. Bluebirds and house wrens may return to the same nest box to build a new nest on top. Raptors, including hawks, owls and eagles, use the same nest for many years, and some nests have been occupied for decades by a series of birds. In many cases, birds engage in some remodeling, building a nest atop an existing nest, or at least adding material to it. Disused nests also become hand-me-downs: An abandoned eagle nest will often be adopted by a great horned owl or a hawk, Craven says, and ab
