The Eastern Phoebe, like the Carolina Wren, doesn’t use a bird house for nesting.  While the Wren will weave a nest just about anywhere, the Phoebe is a talented “adobe artist” who generally prefers locations high-up near the eves of a dwelling.  In my experience, a wall of the man-made structure will typically provide one wall of the nest.  Starting with that man-made wall, the female Phoebe will use mud to glue the nest to the building.  From there she will begin building out, in a horseshoe shape, using a mixture of mud and grasses.  Throughout construction, the female will sit in the cup and swirl around — testing for fit, I assume.  When nest construction is complete, the nest cup has a rigid bottom and sides — lined with soft grasses.

In the featured 30 second video, you will see nest construction over a 6-day period.  This nest is a bit different than the standard Phoebe nest in that “my” Phoebes have become accustomed to using the platform I provide for additional support of the nest structure.  The nest in the video, while securely glued to the platform, is not glued to the house walls.

Enjoy this impressive display of bird adobe talent!