Whose Nest is This Anyways?

BirdNote^®
Whose Nest Is This Anyways?
Written by Ariana Remmel

This is BirdNote.

         [Osprey calls]

Osprey are impressive birds of prey with a wingspan more than 5 feet across. They primarily eat fish, and this bird…

         [Osprey lands at nest]

…is delivering a fresh-catch to his mate and chicks.

         [Osprey parent feeding chicks, chicks begging]

Osprey pairs construct large, open stick nests — and they’ll keep adding new material year after year. An established nest can get up to 6 feet wide and 12 feet tall! While the Ospreys only occupy the upper portions of this structure, other birds take up residence below.

         [House Sparrows]

For decades, researchers have observed small songbirds raising their young inside active Osprey nests. Cavity nesting species — like House Sparrows and European Starlings — seem right at home in the stick structure’s nooks and crannies.

This unexpected living arrangement is a classic example of a survival strategy called protective nesting. Nesting birds – be they songbirds or raptors – must always be on the alert for egg-eating predators. But with pescatarians in the penthouse suite, the nests’ smaller tenants get 24-hour security without ending up on the menu themselves. And if a racoon dares to approach, they’ll make sure the Ospreys hear about it.

         [House Sparrows mobbing calls]

There’s nothing quite like a good neighbor.

         [Osprey calls]

For BirdNote, I’m Ariana Remmel.

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Senior Producer: Mark Bramhill
Producer: Sam Johnson
Managing Producer: Jazzi Johnson
Managing Producer: Ariana Remmel
Content Director: Jonese Franklin

Bird sounds provided by The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and by Xeno-Canto. House Sparrow XC901050 recorded by Geoff Carey and ML211312851 recorded by Jay McGowan. Osprey XC588909, XC572167, and XC588903 recorded by Simon Elliott.
BirdNote’s theme was composed and played by Nancy Rumbel and John Kessler.
© 2026 BirdNote August 2026
Narrator: Ariana Remmel

ID# nest-14-2026-08-17     nest-14

Reference:
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/cams/european-starling-comes-face-to-face-with-iris-at-hellgate-osprey-nest/  
https://nestwatch.org/blog/protective-nesting-associations-the-predator-next-door/  
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Osprey/lifehistory