What to do if a bird nests near your home

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- It’s nesting season, which means hundreds of bird species are looking for a spot to settle down.

Sometimes they choose some unfavorable locations, and that’s exactly what happened to one of our executive producers, Kyleigh Jarosinski. A house finch built a nest in the wreath on her front door.

“I look through the peephole and all I could see was twigs and different types of debris and realized they were probably building a nest,” she said.

NBC4 spoke with the Ohio Division of Wildlife about what can be done in situations like this.

Their main piece of advice is to leave it alone. If the nest is empty, people are allowed to get rid of it, but they recommend wearing gloves and a face mask. If the nest has eggs in it, leave it be.

Some species, including the house finch, are federally protected.

“It’s actually illegal to mess with the nest while it's active,” said Lindsey Krusling, wildlife communications specialist at Ohio Division of Wildlife.

She said it’s best to use another entrance if possible, but in Jarosinski’s case with only one door, it’s recommended that she open and close her door gently.

“I put a sign up on my door to let all of my neighbors know and anyone who may come by like an Amazon driver or any delivery person that there are eggs in a nest and just to be cautious of it,” Jarosinksi said.

Krusling said there ware preventative measures people can take to prevent birds from nesting near their homes.

“You can use some deterrents such as mylar tape like this. It is very flashy and moves in the wind. It will scare the birds off from using that wreath,” she said.

In situations like Jarosinski’s, where the nest is already there, she recommends just enjoying watching the process and learning more about the animals.

“It’s actually a great opportunity to watch those eggs hatch, chicks grow up and then once they have fledged and left the nest you can safely remove that nest then,” Krusling said.

Jarosinski said what started out as a nuisance has quickly developed into a fascination.

“I’ve really taken them under my wing, if you will,” she said.

The whole process once a bird makes a nest typically takes 30 to 60 days depending on the species. Learn more here.