Where do you think this Clark’s Nutcracker stays at night? A bird roost or bird nest?
A bird roost and a bird nest are very different. Birds stay at both at night, but for very different reasons. Here is a quick explanation of what a bird roost is and how it differs from a bird nest.
One of the coolest things to find in the great outdoors is a bird’s nest. It doesn’t matter if the nest is up in a tree or on the ground because it is cool to check out. While it’s obvious when you see a bird nest it is not as apparent when you have found a bird roost. I have no idea if I’ve ever ‘found’ a bird roost. Despite the fact that you may never ‘find’ a bird roost I wanted to explain what it is and how it differs from a nest.
Here is a nice bird nest with eggs in it.
What Exactly Is A Bird Nest?
Maybe I was naive or more likely I was just a clueless kid growing up in the city. Based on books and movies I always imagined that bird’s nests were like their homes. I thought that they used their nest all the time and actually lived in them like I live in my house.
I pictured the birds flying around doing their thing all day, then in the evening the mom and dad would return to the nest, sit down next to each other, and fall asleep.
I was surprised to find out that is not true.
Birds only build and use a nest when they are ready to have babies. In fact, most species of birds build a new nest every single year for the sole purpose of using to have babies. Once the babies leave the nest they are done with it and they move on elsewhere.
Most of the year they are not using a nests.
What Is A Bird Roost?
A bird roost is a place where birds go to rest or sleep at night.
The main thing a bird is looking for in a nice roost is a place that is safe from predators and is warm.
A roost could be a spot within thick bushes, the top of a tree, or even on water. Yeah, hard to believe, but some water birds like ducks will sleep while floating on water. Then if a predator approaches them they’ll feel the water moving and wake up. The water serves as a great alarm system for them.
Some birds roost with lots of other birds in a place called a communal roost and many roost alone. During winter many birds, like the Black Capped Chickadee, communal roost in order to stay warm and survive the cold Rocky Mountain winter.