“Different species choose differently, of course, but the common elements are safety from predators and access to food. For most songbirds, safety from predators calls for a well-hidden nest in a place that’s hard for predators to climb to,” Andrew Horn, a professor in the Biology department at Dalhousie University told Bored Panda.

The Celebrate Urban Birds project also pointed out that the places birds choose and the nests they build differs depending on the species. Some of them even have different roles for male and female birds when it comes to finding the best spot and building a nest.

For instance, mourning doves typically opt for a tree, but it’s the male’s responsibility to locate the right place, which then has to be approved by the female. When it comes to hummingbirds, for example, the female builds the nest without any help from the male counterpart. This species usually also builds them in trees, but might also choose bushes or a more interesting spot, such as a loop of chain or wire, as well.

According to the Natural History Museum, a woodpigeon is another species that shares the workload of building a nest: the male bird brings the materials, while the female piles it on a somewhat scattered platform then used for laying eggs. Woodpigeons typically lay two eggs, each of which is then incubated by the two birds.

Even though they might be used as permanent homes in some cases, nests are primarily built for laying eggs, incubating them, and raising the young. Birding Outdoors revealed that these living beings lay eggs all year round, but April, May, and June seem to be the most active months; that’s when they lay as much as 86% of eggs.

The Natural History Museum pointed out that some birds, such as house martins, build their nests from mud and often do it on people’s houses, attaching them to the roof and the wall.

“Homes often offer places like eaves, holes (e.g., drainpipes), and raised but flat surfaces that are like natural nest sites, but scarcer in the wild. Also, the activity around the home can offer some protection from predators (apart from cats!),” Professor Andrew Horn explained.

Prof. Andrew Horn also discussed with Bored Panda what is the best course of action upon finding a nest in an unexpected location on your property. “If there’s no eggs or nestlings in it yet, and it really can’t be there, then you can try moving it to a better location, and/or removing the nest material every time it reappears until the birds give up and nest somewhere else,” he said. “Once the nest has eggs or nestlings though, it’s illegal to disturb it. Just try to avoid the nest area if possible, don’t linger near or look at the nest, and hopefully the birds and you will get used to each other. The birds will only be nesting for a month or so.”

In addition to living rent-free on the homeowner’s property, the winged creatures also tend to use man-made materials at times. The Natural History Museum uncovered that birds might add debris and other bits and pieces to their nests to strengthen the structure, decorate it, or repel ectoparasites.

Depending on the species, birds build different types of nests. According to AZ Animals, they are categorized into cup, platform, burrow, scrape, mound, cavity, and hanging nests. The first one is arguably the most common one in the bird world, as well as in pictures showing the most random places birds choose to set them up. 

It is believed that the majority of birds do not reuse their nests. All the effort of building one typically goes down the drain once the birds and their babies abandon the construction after the nesting period. They start the intricate process all over again next season.

Some birds, however, skip the process of building one altogether. Bird Gap uncovered that the list of such species includes the Emperor Penguin, Common Potoo, Indigobird, and the Common Cuckoo, among others. They find a place for laying eggs that doesn’t require construction or simply leave their unhatched babies in other birds’ nests.

According to researchers’ 2021 data, there are roughly 9,700 species of birds, providing people with plenty of nests in random places, as well as beautiful bird vocalization. They also often become the stars of amusing content, such as these pics that went horribly wrong but ended up with hilarious results or this collection of the best bird memes posted online.