Feathering their nests

Discover the distinctive and wonderful creations produced by some of our beautiful British birds

- LOUISE MIDGLEY.

The breeding season for Britain's birds is underway but before they start laying eggs and feeding their young, they need to build a nest in a well-concealed site away from the prying eyes of predators. How many of these nests can you spot in your area?

House sparrow

Residing in rural and urban environments, sociable house sparrows build nests in loose colonies, making use of thick vegetation such as mature ivy, cavities in buildings or under the eaves of houses. Their cup-shaped nests are thrown together with dried grass, straw, stalks, twigs or even paper and lined with feathers.

EGGS

Sparrows are busy little birds during the breeding season. They will have multiple broods, which contain on average three to five white/grey, heavily speckled eggs. The number of broods they produce depends on the weather and availability of food.

Great spotted woodpecker