Nesting Navigator (bird nestbox monitor)

Have you been curious how many eggs a Black-capped Chickadee pair cares for during a single breeding season? Or how to tell who built a nest just by the materials inside?

Join our Nesting Navigators and discover these answers firsthand as you witness the full, fascinating lifecycle of a songbird—from nest building to adorable baby birds. Nestbox monitoring is simple, deeply rewarding, and can be done on your own, in pairs, or as a family activity.

Before jumping in, all volunteers are REQUIRED to participate in a brief training led by Observatory staff to get you ready for this hands-on community science experience. Below you’ll find the upcoming training dates and times—we’d love to have you join us!

• Tuesday, March 31: 3:30 - 5:00 PM
• Thursday, April 2: 3:30 - 5:00 PM
• Tuesday, April 7: 5:30PM – 7:00PM
• Thursday, April 9: 5:30PM – 7:00PM

PLEASE SIGN UP IN ADVANCE FOR TRAINING SESSIONS - HERE!

NEW OPPORTUNITY! Bird Banding: Our certified bird banding staff will be banding as many adult and nestling birds as possible in our nest boxes. Banding opportunities are ad hoc and depend on activity in each individual box. Volunteers will be notified in advance of planned banding dates. There is no guarantee or requirement that volunteers will handle a bird—participants may choose to observe or assist by scribing. While we will do our best to provide ample notice if a route you monitor is scheduled for banding, notice may occasionally be short. We appreciate your flexibility, as we work on the birds’ timeline!