When you think of a birds nest, you probably have a pretty good picture of a bowl shaped cup, made of dry grass or sticks, sitting on top of a branch high overhead in a tree somewhere. You certainly wouldn’t be wrong. Those are called cup nests, and they are the most commonly constructed type of nest, made by many different bird species. Bald eagles, great blue herons, and hundreds of species of song birds from hummingbirds to American crows all build cup nests. But not all birds build cup nests. The Baltimore oriole’s nest is similar to a cup nest, but instead of resting on top of a branch, it hangs down like a bag. It’s known as a pendulous nest. Burrowing owls and belted kingfishers make their nests in the ground. They dig burrows underground that protect their eggs and young. We’ve already posted about cavity nesters and the dangers of cutting down trees in the spring and summer, but they’re definitely worth another mention here. Primary cavity nesters, such as woodpeckers, create their own holes in old or dead trees with their powerful beaks. Other species of birds, such as screech owls, kestrels, barn owls, wood ducks, house wrens, eastern bluebirds, and black-capped chickadees to name a few, are considered secondary cavity nesters. They are unable to make their own nests, so they rely on natural holes in trees, or abandoned woodpecker holes for their nests. Some birds nest on the ground. Snowy owls, gulls, and many types of ducks make scrape nests. Simply speaking, a parent will create a shallow depression in vegetation or soil and may or may not line it with feathers. The eggs are then laid in the depression. Ground nesters are particularly vulnerable to predation, so the eggs are usually speckled and colored appropriately to help camouflage them. Here are a few pictures from The Raptor Trust’s nest collection, depicting some nests of different species of birds. Enjoy! For more information, visit birds.cornell.edu/Page.aspx?pid=1478
Posted on: Tue, 29 Jul 2014 22:00:00 +0000
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