Types of Ground Nesting Birds

Although bird nests are often associated with trees and other tall structures, some birds nest in the ground. Ground nesting birds learn to walk before they learn how to fly and have adapted to the ground-level habitat for survival skills. However, ground nesting birds have more natural predators because of their convenient location.

  1. Killdeer

    • The killdeer belongs to the shorebird family. The nests of these birds are made on top of gravel and are sometimes lined with sticks and trash. The eggs drop right into the grooves of the gravel, where they are camouflaged by the rocks surrounding them. This is a survival adaptation so that predators cannot spot the eggs from far away. According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the ground nests of killdeer are typically 3 to 3 1/2 inches across.

    Pectoral Sandpipers

    • The pectoral sandpiper is another shorebird. It builds its nest on the tundra, out in the open. This sandpiper makes its nest out of grassy materials that line the nest for insulation purposes. According to Eastern Kentucky University, pectoral sandpipers look for nesting materials that provide more thermal heat when wet, given the fact that they live in damp and wet conditions. The heat within the nest helps the eggs hatch and keeps the fledglings warm when hatched.

    Northern Bobwhite Quail

    • The northern bobwhite quail is a game bird found in the eastern parts of the United States. It builds bowl-like depressions in the earth and then covers them over with old vegetation to create a dome. The dome protects the eggs by keeping them hidden and out of plain sight. The grassy, shrubby environment where the nests are built also helps to keep them inconspicuous. The hen lays approximately one egg per day in the nest, according to the Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation.

    Common Ground-Dove

    • The common ground-dove, the smallest dove in the United States, is another ground-nesting bird. These doves build their nests out of grass, weeds, fibers and pine needles, making slight depressions in the ground to hold their eggs. The nests are not bushy or as dense as those of some other ground-nesting birds.

    California Quail

    • The California quail is a ground-dwelling bird that nests beneath shrubs or next to logs that provide cover. It constructs its nest by building shallow depressions in the ground and lining them with leaves and grass. Since the eggs of the California quail are white or cream-colored, the bird needs the grass and shrubs as protection from predators.