Conservation Awareness through Nest Boxes

Urban birds are losing nesting spaces as cities grow. Naturalist J. N. Prasad shows how simple, local nest boxes, fewer pesticides, and community action can help sparrows and songbirds survive—and return—to our neighborhoods. Prasad is a veteran naturalist and birdwatcher with over 40 years of experience, Prasad has authored 50+ scientific papers, co-founded the Merlin Nature Club, and leads the Hakkigoodu nest-box initiative in India. Watch on Youtube. Listen on Spotify.  Key Insights Not All Birds Build Their Own Homes One of Prasad’s central lessons is that birds have very different nesting strategies. Some species, like woodpeckers and barbets, are “primary cavity nesters.” Each breeding season, they carve fresh holes into dead branches, creating safe spaces to raise their young.  But many other birds—called secondary cavity nesters—can’t make these holes themselves. They rely on abandoned cavities left behind by others. “Once those old trees and dead branches are removed for safety or aesthetics,” Prasad […]