Used for laying eggs and sheltering the little ones, bird nests vary in shape, size, and type. While some feathered creatures opt for a simple scrape nest by creating a shallow depression in the ground, for instance, others weave intricate ones out of twigs and other materials.
The latter kind often build their wonders of engineering in the most unusual places. They occupy everything from helmets, to car parts, swimming suits, and even traffic lights, and people have pictures to prove it. We’ve gathered some of them in this list today showing that there is no limit to their creativity when it comes to nesting locations. Scroll down to find the pictures and enjoy.
In order to understand bird behavior better and learn more about their process of building nests, Bored Panda got in touch with a professor in the Biology department at Dalhousie University, Andrew Horn. You will find his thoughts in the text below.
A Hummingbird Built Its Nest On My Hanging Hummingbird Figurine
is Goose At My Hospital Laid Eggs And Is Nesting In A Large Planter. One Of Our Maintenance Guys Built An Umbrella For Her And Set Up Nearby Water For Her
wo Eagles Have Decided To Build A Nest Right Outside My Grandma’s Window On The 12th Floor
View More Replies…View more comments
“Different species choose differently, of course, but the common elements are safety from predators and access to food. For most songbirds, safety from predators calls for a well-hidden nest in a place that’s hard for predators to climb to,” Andrew Horn, a professor in the Biology department at Dalhousie University told Bored Panda.
The Celebrate Urban Birds project also pointed out that the places birds choose and the nests they build differs depending on the species. Some of them even have different roles for male and female birds when it comes to finding the best spot and building a nest.
For instance, mourning doves typically opt for a tree, but it’s the male’s responsibility to locate the right place, which then has to be approved by the female. When it comes to hummingbirds, for example, the female builds the nest without any help from the male counterpart. This species usually also builds them in trees, but might also choose bushes or a more interesting spot, such as a loop of chain or wire, as well.