Birds build there nests everywhere from directly on the ground to the tops of trees. The Belted Kingfisher builds its nest in the bank of a river or a creek, digging it 4 ft. deep into the bank. Grebes build a floating nest on water. Understanding that birds place their nests everywhere is an important concept for protecting birds during the nesting season.

Most birds in North America lay eggs and raise chicks in the spring and summer (March-July).  During this time, they need plenty of safe habitat, insects for their chicks to eat, and protection from cats, humans, other predators.

Not all birds build their own nests!  Some birds put their eggs in the nests of other  birds. Birds that do this are called brood parasites.  This can be bad for the birds whose nest gets an extra egg because the parents have to raise an extra chick and often the extra chick ends up competing for food with the other chicks in the nest.  The Brown-headed Cowbird and some cuckoo's are brood parasites.

The largest bird in the world is the Ostrich, native to Africa. It weighs up to 300 lbs

The bird with the largest wingspan is the Wandering Albatross with a wingspan of 11 ft. 10 inches. Next in line are the Marabou Stork with 11 ft. 6 inches, the Condor with 9 ft. and the Mute Swan with 8ft wing spans.

The smallest bird in the world is the Cuban Bee hummingbird, also known as the Helena's hummingbird. It measures 2 ¼ inches in length from bill tip to tail.

The largest egg laid is by the Ostrich measuring 6-8 inches long and the smallest egg laid is from the bee hummingbird, which is under ½ inch long.

The largest bird in North America is the Trumpeter Swan, averaging about 28 pounds. However the Whooping Crane is the tallest standing almost five feet.  The Heloise's hummingbird is the smallest bird measuring 2 ¾ inches in length from bill tip to tail.

The Peregrine falcon is the fastest bird in the world flying at speeds up to 220 mph. However, some species of swifts have been documented to fly at speeds close to 200 mph.