Does a robin use the same nest over again? I have a nest in the corner of my carport and have had three clutches this year. The second not being successful. Somehow the nest fell and splattered the eggs on the concrete below. I was heartbroken, my husband secured the nest with a wire and this one is not going anywhere. But, I just wondered if the same mama would use the nest more than once. Thank you, Jackie
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Will robins reuse this nest?
Hi Jackie, thanks for writing. Some birds only use a nest once, but American robins (Turdus migratorius) will reuse nests. Here’s what Birds of North America says about robin nest reuse “Once constructed, nest is not maintained and may be destroyed by wind and rain. Old nests may be reused with or without a new lining (Howell 1942); a new nest may be built on top of an old one on a man-made structure, but more commonly a new nest is constructed for each brood.” That doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the same bird using that nest in your carport, but I would bet that it is. Tom
I just discovered that I have a nest on my back porch with three little birds in it I was getting ready to knock it down but three little heads picked up what do I do with the nest I don’t want it on my deck
Hi, first I have to tell you that it would technically be against the law for you to knock down a nest with baby birds in it, unless they are starlings or house sparrows or some other introduced bird. In fact, you’re not supposed to touch it or bother it. However, if you decided you wanted to try and move it, the trick is to move it only a foot or two at a time and wait for the parents to find it, and then move it a little more. Tom
I have a question. Every year we have a robin build a nest on our backyard porch light that is attached to the house. We usually take it down in the fall. We left it up this winter mainly because we forgot about it but also, it looks nice and I hate the thought of destroying something an animal worked so hard to make. Yesterday, out of nowhere, I saw a robin in the same nest. When she flew away, I was able to check and sure enough, there are two eggs in it. Last year they had 4 and all 4 hatched and grew big enough to leave. We did find a cracked Robin’s egg on our grill but I don’t know if it is from them or the many other pairs around our yard. Is it possible this is the same pair using this nest?
If a Robbin nest is used once then abandoned is it ok to take it down?
Thank you!
The law says that you can’t bother a nest if it has eggs or chicks. If the robins are done and gone and you don’t want it there, take it down now, before someone else plops some eggs in it! Tom
Hi
A robin laid 2 eggs, which never hatched. We watched her nesting for 3 weeks and then one day found the eggs broken and abandoned. We have continued to watch for over a week now with no return to the nest. Will the robin (or other birds) return to this nest at some other time? Will another bird take it over? Should we leave it in the shrub, or take it out?
Found a nest had three eggs didn’t bother it and never saw a bird. three days later still no bird but one egg was on the ground in front yard and one egg below nest on patio. its been about a week and now there is a robin on nest never leaving for past three days. Did she lay more eggs in same nest? Or is this a completely different bird?
Hi Jason, that pair probably won’t use that nest again, because they know a predator found it, and knows where it is. It’s possible another bird would use it next year, maybe, but I don’t think it really matters much whether you leave it or take it down. Tom
We have a robin’s nest being reused; the first 3 newborns didn’t survive a late April freeze. Mom cleaned out the nest; it sat empty for a month and now 3 new eggs. The nest is on a high window ledge, but is easy to see from the inside . I don’t think it is the same mom….she sits differently than the last one and her face looks a little different. Happy they are back.
I have a robins nest in the tree by my door.
This year it was used and then abandoned with dead babies inside. (Couldn’t see for myself, so used a camera to take a picture and later verify after mom and dad had abandoned it for two days.) this was May 18th.
Now, Today, June 4th I came home and I saw a robin, sitting in it.
Is this a safe nest for this Robin to reuse?
I would just wait and see. If the other nest was abandoned, it might have been because the mother died for some reason.
Mom and dad abandoned it, prob because babies didn’t make it… two days later I managed to reach and get the picture, dead babies with no tufts of brown even. Looks like 2-3. That was May 18th.
I’m worried if the best is being reused now, June 4, that any new babies/ or adult using would get sick?
We have small tree in our front yard that we were wanting to cut down; after cutting the top portion we realized there’s a robins nest in it. Two babies, pretty good size. Their parents have been back and forth feeding them but because the top of the tree is gone they’re exposed to the sun and elements. Is there something we should do to provide protection? Or just leave it?
I think you should probably just leave them. How big are they? Do they have feathers? Tom
They do have feathers – they’re quite big.
Then I wouldn’t worry about them. They’ll be flying soon anyway.
We have a Robin’s nest in our wreath and have enjoyed watching Mom and Pop through the whole process from building the nest to feeding 3youngsters. Last night there was a flurry of activity at the nest and a “thump” noise. I checked and the nest had fallen from the wreath and the fledging babies were no where to be seen. I looked around the yard again this morning and there is no sign of the little ones. I think they spooked themselves and toppled the nest. Should I simply remove the nest, or put it back in the wreath ? We would love to have another clutch nest there….
Shall I remove a Robin nest that fell from our wreath, or put it back in hopes that it will serve another clutch?
Hi Kathleen, I think it’s more likely that a predator got to them. A cat or squirrel, or a weasel, maybe. You can put the nest back, but my prediction is that the parents won’t renest there because they now know it’s not safe there. Sorry for you. And the baby robins. But mom and dad will figure out a new location quickly. It’s still early in the season, so they’ll almost certainly start over. Tom
How many months do I have to leave a robins nest on my outdoor light? I think they return and reuse the same nest which is fine but when they are finally done, I would like to remove it and put something up to avoid a nest next year. Thank you , in advance, for your advice. Vermont
A mama robin has built a nest on top of our stepladder on our porch. We have been very careful to walk and speak quietly when we walk out. Today the robin on the porch attacked me twice! It flew against my head twice!! Scared me to death. I’m out on the porch screaming, trying to get back inside. Dropped my package, kicked it thru the door, and dropped a crutch. My husband thought I fell. (I didn’t.) Ok. It’s funny now. My daughter sent me a gif from Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds” where one seagull attacks Melanie out in a rowboat. I said, “Yes, that’s it…..but without the blood!”
How can we stop the attacks? The nest is right next to our only front door. The back door opens onto a high deck (many stairs leading down to the ground) and is not practical to use to go out to our vehicles or back inside. We have been waving a broom (or crutch) in the air as it flies near. It will chase us all the way to our vehicle.
Hello, I’m from the UK and need help, I have a robins nest nesting in my birdbox on my shed, we had heavy rain on Saturday 15th May so I thought I would see if the nest was wet, there is foliage around the next box so I just pulled it down a little for my shelter, I was very gentle and quite, there are 4 eggs in the nest but since Sunday morning I think I haven’t seen her, I feel the cause of her leaving thr eggs and babies, I’m totally heartbroken, what can I do? What if the eggs are still alive… Will she come back to them?
Shall I remove the eggs and hope for another bird to nest, please help, thank you
Hello, Perhaps you could help answer my robin question. Last year on a tree in our garden, a mature robin sat alone singing and chirping….this went on all day until evening. He never had a mate or left the tree, so I presumed his mate was dead. Now it would seem that he is back this year as the same thing is happening again. He calls out all day from that same tree. It makes me sad to see him alone. Could you tell me what you think about this and if it could be the same robin. Thankyou
Do robins ever just lay one egg?
Hi! I have a robin’s nest on top of a pillar in the doorway to my house. She laid 2 clutches of eggs last year and came back this spring and laid a clutch of eggs that hatched, and around 9 days after they hatched, my big dog finally caught sight of the nest and ran towards them, barking. The robins jumped/flew out of the nest before my mom could stop my dog. She held him back while they flew/hopped away so he didn’t hurt any of them, but I haven’t seen the mother back at her nest since then. Will she abandon the nest for good? My dog hasn’t seen/barked at them before this incident or since then. I feel really bad and I’ll feel even worse if my dog has scared them away from their nesting spot.
We had a pair of robins nest in our nest box and raised and fledged 4 successfully. We cleaned out the nest box and put it back up .
We now have 2 robins that have been visiting the nest box every day and they both go inside it together but they are not building a nest . It is hard to tell if it’s the same 2 that built the nest the last time but it looks like them . Me and my wife are real curious what they may be doing ?
My robin had her first babies successfully. Then a couple weeks later. The same nest had more eggs. Blue eggs. She is nesting them again. In the same nest. Is this unusual??
Yes, it is very common for birds to nest again in the same year. And robin eggs are blue. So she must be liking that spot. Congratulations! Are you feeling like a bird grandparent? Tom
Hi, I have a brand new Robins nest on my front house light right above my mailbox. It looks like it was just finished and no eggs are in there. The robin seems to be sticking close by but not nesting. Can I move it to the bush just below before they lay eggs?
Over a month ago I noticed a nest on a small fence with an overhang on back deck . 3 eggs. There were some cold nights and a couple really bad rainy windy days but all 3 made it and fledged! Anyway about 3 days after they fledged I noticed another Robin in the nest but after a day I didn’t see it any again for about 5 days until I looked out this morning(force of habit after doing it for over a month watching the first brood). A little bit later when no parent was near I checked it and there are 2 eggs so far! I don’t think it’s the same parents but one of them has the same characteristics as one of the original parents with it beak open all the time. Could it actually be the same pair? That fast after their little ones only fledged a week or so prior?
I have a baby robin calling for it’s mom; it hatched and the mom was so consistent. Now the baby has moved out of the nest and is sitting calling for mom on my bannister next to my door. What could I do? Give it some berries or will mom come back. Still shedding the down feathers also. Please reply to email.