The Funkiest

Below are funky nests from 2019! Send us more funky nests that you see @cubirds on Instagram!

Birds On A Ladder by Lila Johnson (Yorba Linda, CA): This mourning dove claimed this spot as her nesting place while she began raising two babies.
Risky Business by Sara Silva (Inwood, NY): One day in May I was walking to a store and while crossing Broadway Bridge, between Inwood and West Bronx, just below, I saw what appeared to be eggs! A pair of Canada Geese built their nest in a noisy, exposed and not-so-safe looking place… I counted three eggs. About one hour later, on my way back, one egg was gone. I wonder what could have happened to it…
To watch video: https://youtu.be/WDTyenVVdm0
Risky Business by Sara Silva (Inwood, NY)
Bird Nest On A Stop Sign by Carrier Buterbaugh (Indiana, PA): My daughter Emma, age 9, drew this picture. She felt this was the strangest spot a bird would make a nest on.
The Bird’s Antlers by St Paul Lutheran ECC (Appleton, WI): This work of art was voted as the best of our summer camp submissions. It was the collaborative work of two young men ages 11 and 8. It depicts a bird who has strangely made its nest within the antlers of a deer or moose that has left it behind.
Sharpest Looking Nests Around by George A Housley (Phoenix, AZ): A Dove and House Sparrow in cacti at the Phoenix Desert Botanical Garden!
Sharpest Looking Nests Around by George A Housley (Phoenix, AZ)
Overall Grand Prize Winner: There’s A Nest On My Truck by Stacy Amos (Rosenburg, TX): My husband was headed out on an errand when he found this dove nesting on his truck. We live in a newer neighborhood with small trees but we still thought the birds could have made a better choice. My daughter was reminded of the book: There’s a Bird on My Head, by Mo Willems.
Rookie Mother?? by Tu Fangyu (Taiwan, 台灣): Hatching egg on the shadingnet
Nest Behind The Thermomter by Mary Beth Roen (River Falls, WI): This nest was built behind a thermometer which is in the corner of the house by the front door.
Nest Behind The Thermomter by Mary Beth Roen (River Falls, WI): A nest built behind the thermometer.
Nest Behind The Thermomter by Mary Beth Roen (River Falls, WI)
Hornets Leave & Bird Moves In by Robert Werzburg (Glen Gardner, NJ): This is a large (22″ high) White Face Hornet nest on the side of our house that was abandon by hornets then occupied by a bird. The bird had vacated by the time I discovered this, but the nesting materials remained in the lower opening. I do not know what type of bird made the nest.
Finally! A Bear-Proof Nestbox by Kevin Corwin (Antonito, CO): I noticed this female Mountain Bluebird carrying food at the railyard of the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic RR. Watched her fly to the coupler on a derelict flat car and saw the dried grass hanging out of the cavity that usually houses the coupling mechanism, then watched as she delivered the food to the nest occupants.
Even a bear wouldn’t be able to get at a nest like this, but I just can’t figure out how to mount couplers on T-posts.
Finally! A Bear-Proof Nestbox by Kevin Corwin (Antonito, CO)
Finally! A Bear-Proof Nestbox by Kevin Corwin (Antonito, CO)
Chipper Flycatcher Nest by Laurie Logan (Monroe, CT): The nest is right under the chute where the chips come out
Funky Nest by william neumann (Seattle, WA): After the young fledged I cleaned out the bird house where the Bewick’s Wrens built their nest and was surprised that so much plastic wrap was used to build the nest with. Notice also the long dark hairs. I would guess they are from racoon? There are few if any sticks, mostly moss, feathers (blue jay, flicker, etc) and bamboo leaf. I pulled most of the plastic out and set it beside the nest for the picture.
At any rate another discouraging case of the pervasiveness of plastic throughout the environment.
Industrial Robins by Sean Clinning (Elizabethtown, KY): American Robin nest built within a cable coil on an welding rig. This nest was extremely visible and offered little or no protection from the elements. At least one of the original three young fledged successfully moments before this image was captured.
Bird For Brains by Christy Vogt (Kennesaw, GA): A pair of house wrens made a cozy nest inside the brain cavity of a cow skull
Bird For Brains by Christy Vogt (Kennesaw, GA): House wren eggs inside brain cavity of cow skull.
Bird For Brains by Christy Vogt (Kennesaw, GA): Cow skull
Woven Materials by Sarah Macdonald (Mataranka Northern Territory, Australia) :this well woven nest hung over the water so I couldn’t see into i. I don’t know who it belongs to but suspect a fly catcher
Finch Nest In Porch Rafters by Joan Anderson (Albert Lea, MN): Finch mama sits on the nest
Eastern Phoebe Nest by Jenifer Kramer (Coon Rapids, MN): Eastern Phoebe nest under the deck and on top of the weather station sensor. The sensor has a red, blinking light (partially obscured in the photo). Given birds like shiny things, I wonder if the light attracted her to the spot, at least in part. I thought the nest itself was “funky” with all the colors she used to build it.
Bird’s-eye View Of Curwood Castle by Glen Wunderlich (Owosso): This American robin was taking care of its two offspring several stories above ground. It was observed on the sill through a small window of James Oliver’s Curwood Castle overlooking the Shiawassee River in Owosso, Michigan, June 8, 2019.
Bird’s-eye View Of Curwood Castle by Glen Wunderlich (Owosso): Curwood Castle, located in Curwood Castle Park,stands on the banks of the Shiawassee River. It served as the writing studio of James Oliver Curwood, one of America’s foremost authors of adventure novels and an early advocate of environmental conservation. Set in Owosso, among one of the richest collections of historic homes and buildings in the Midwest, this replica of a Norman chateau was completed in 1923. The beautiful castle was used by Curwood until his death in 1927.
Trail Registration by Emily Weiser (Durand, WI): These House Finch nestlings are all registered and ready to enjoy the Chippewa River State Trail!
Trail Registration by Emily Weiser (Durand, WI)
Fishing Bullock’s Orioles by George A Housley Jr (Chimayo, NM): A. In 2004 while exploring the high road to Taos we stopped at Santa Cruz Lake and walked around where I spotted they fishing line nest high in a tree. The birds in the area (and same tree) included a Bullock’s Oriole so I concluded they were the artists of the nest. The area is a major recreational spot with fisherman all around.
Fishing Bullock’s Orioles by George A Housley Jr (Chimayo, NM)
Nest On A Nest by Patrick Kuklinski (Apex, NC): A bird’s nest precariously perched on a preexisting wasp nest
A Rack Of Robins by Mary Orr (Velarde, NM): American Robin nest built on top of an old elk skull hanging on the side of the garage and under an outside stairway. We had to walk past it everyday to enter the garage but the birds were not deterred from their choice of location.
A Rack Of Robins by Mary Orr (Velarde, NM): The new nest is a shaggy mane.
One Stop Shop by Tiffany Krahn (Kitchener, ON, Canada)
A Frog’s “hairowing” Experience With A Say’s Phoebe by John Anderson (Las Cruces, NM): Dreams do come true. No longer does Ms. Frog fear the chilly nights on her shiny, round pate with the delivery of new tresses courtesy of a very industrious and persistent Say’s phoebe. The round headed frog was placed on top of the front porch light fixture to discourage nesting…to no avail. The phoebe built “tresses” down sides of the frog’s head to stabilize it, which worked beautifully.
You’ve Gutter Be Kidding Me by Heidi Sherman (Black Earth, WI): I was riding the bus in the morning to school when I noticed a birds nest by a door on the gutters I thought it was the funkiest nest ever. When I came home I told my Mom we needed to get a picture of it so I could draw it and enter it. I heard about this competition from Ranger Rick. I think this was the best nest I could of picked.
Spring Cleaning by Lori Jane (Ithaca, NY): Robin’s nest inside storm window.
Carolina Wren Nest In Garage Utility Shelf by Mike Ludes (Tallahassee, FL): Small wooden utility shelf by the house entrance in the garage. Top pic is the start of the nest–I thought it was just some junk my kids put there. Second image is about a week later when it was finished! She never laid eggs there–I think the closed garage door made it too inconvenient.
The Carolina Wrens have also built a nest on the garage door motor assembly, and on a bookshelf in the garage!
Birds Nest On The Manna Grocery And Deli Sign by Amina Hazbun (Tuscaloosa, AL): We think the birds are sparrows. Amina, 10 years old, found the bird nests and took the photo.
Wren In Paper Bag by Paul Edwards (San Anselmo, CA): The fava bean nest. Wren nests in paper bag full of fava bean seeds!
Be VERY Careful! by Ginny Garrison (Hardwick, VT): An American Robin pair made their second nest of the summer on top of the main electrical entrance to our house under the peak of the roof. They flew in and moved very carefully and managed to not be electrocuted or have any of their young electrocuted.
Robin Nest On A Sled by Bob Harris (Ithaca, NY): Each year for four or five years we had a pair of Robins build a nest on an old sled which is mounted over the door to our shed. We assume it was the same returning pair. Last year the nest went empty. This year a pair of Robins have returned. We are uncertain if it is the same original pair, descendants of the originals, or simply a new pair moving into the old homesite. Each year the nest gets added to it and becomes taller and taller.
Robin Nest On A Sled by Bob Harris (Ithaca, NY)
Great Balance! by Nozomi Redding (Kansas City, MO): This House Sparrow is raising it youngster in a gap under the roof a store in a piece of tile.
This place is a refuge from the rain and wind, but the broken tile looks as if it is about to fall.
Why would she build her nest here!
Wren In The Old Chevy Motor by Kathleen Hilliard (Hernando, MS): The wren decided to nest in an old, unused air filter box for a Smallblock Chevy. She also learned how to get into the garage despite the door being down by walking through a small, wren-sized hole at the bottom of the door. There are three chicks in the nest! This is a youth entry as I am 15 years old.
A Very Sparrey Christmas by Michael Tensmeyer (Athens, OH): A sparrow laid 5 eggs in her nest inside this Christmas wreath!
The Dismal Mourning Dove Nest by Felicia Faulkner (Bethlehem, PA): This is a mourning dove nest in a hanging pot out on my balcony, directly next to the door. The parents were not on the egg at the time, so I snapped a quick picture. The nest could be considered a bit lacking. The fibrous pot must have seemed good enough to be a nest so they decided not to stress about making one themselves.
The Dismal Mourning Dove Nest by Felicia Faulkner (Bethlehem, PA): Still needing to water my plants, I move very slowly in and out of my balcony door, trying not to disturb the incubation of the egg(s) (there were originally two, I think one was eaten). Doing this periodically, the mother dove does not fly away or attack me (thankfully). We respect each others space and responsibilities.
Light The Way by Tracey Ewing (Mesa, AZ): We discovered this beauty on Mother’s Day… Absolutely perfect!
Southern Living bt Rose Shawl (Smyrna, TN)
Safe Shelter by Nicole Ohaus (Caledon, Ontario, Canada): This American Robin every year uses this nest that has been built atop a bat house.
Circle Door by Chiska Francis and David Francis (Seattle, WA): We thought this nest was Funky because it has a circle made out of a stick in front of it. So the bird has to be skinny to get in.
Osprey Nest Including Entire Black Garbage Bag by Susan Nordvall (Port Charlotte, FL): Osprey nest on a light pole included a black garbage bag flowing off the right side. They were discouraging black vultures in an air show in April 2019.
(Bird Heaven)😜or Lunchtime by Evie (Nashville, TN)
Wood Carving by Julie Bélanger (Saint-Jean-Port-Joli, QC, Canada): Amazing woodpecker worked hard to build a nest inside this piece, choosing one sculpture to make quite an artistic home.
Wood Carving by Julie Bélanger (Saint-Jean-Port-Joli, QC, Canada): Beau pic flamboyant qui a travaillé fort, tout comme les sculpteurs qui ont fait cette oeuvre au départ! L’oiseau a l’air d’apprécier un nid à l’architecture agréable. Cela vient du Parc des Trois-Bérets qui abrite beaucoup de sculptures en bois et autres, à St-Jean-Port-Joli.