Q: Do birds ever or usually nest in the same nest from season to season? Do they ever nest in other birdsâ?? old nests?
A: Most small birds, such as songbirds, build a new nest each breeding season, although they often reoccupy the same territory or join the same colony, says Stanley Temple, emeritus professor of conservation in the department of forest and wildlife ecology at UW-Madison. Saving energy and resources can be important to a bird, he adds, which shows up in a number of recycling strategies.