Not only humans build their homes. When it comes to “Home Sweet Home” birds are no less than us. Birds are great architects in building their homes which are commonly known as “Nests” and the process of building a nest is called “Nesting”.
What do you think when you look at a bird’s nest? Are you fascinated by the architecture of the nest or are you just busy looking at young ones?
To me a nest is always fascinating. I am amazed by looking at a nest. I am amazed to see the efforts put into by birds in building their nests.
Before going into details as to how birds build their nests, lets see why birds build their nests?
Why Birds Make Their Nests?
Well, the most common reason would be safety. Birds build their nests so that they can have safer place to reside. Second reason is that birds build their nests to lay eggs and raise their young ones. Thirdly, nests are best place to camouflage the environment and escape the predators.
Another interesting thing that we should know about birds is that birds are good at parenting. Yes, like humans, birds do parenting. Birds look after their young ones after they come out of the eggs. Once the young ones are strong enough to fly and protect themselves from their enemies, the young ones leave their parents nest and make their own nests.
Now, this is what most Indian parents should learn from birds. Feed, educate, grow your kids into independent and responsible individuals and then let them lead their own life in their own style.
Moving on to the topic, nests protect birds and their laid eggs from enemies that can eat them up. Once the baby birds come out of the eggs after hatching, the parent birds take care of their baby birds and also feed the young ones.
Lets now understand, how birds build their nests?
What is Nesting?
Nesting habits are quite common in birds and different birds make different types of nests. The ingredients required for building nests are almost similar. In general, birds collect straws, paper, thread, cloth pieces, wool, cotton, twigs, leaves, husks, etc to make their nests.
Eventually, some birds use things that they find in their surroundings to make a nest. For example, sparrows and crows even use small wires, and other man-made things to make nest.
Some birds make their nests on branches of trees, some on terraces of buildings and some even make their nests on windows or ventilators that are aloof from human interference.
Birds become incredibly artistic while making their nests. Some birds also cushion their nests with cotton, wool and leaves for comfort.
Birds nests are diverse. Different bird species make different types of nests. In general females build the nests but sometimes both parents build their nests.
Do all birds make their nests?
No, all birds do not make their nests. There are birds that do not make their nests. Some birds, like seabirds such as penguins or albatrosses, do not build traditional nests but may create simple scrapes in the ground for their eggs.
There are other birds like cuckoos that are brood parasites. They lay their eggs in the nests of other bird species to be raised by them.
Conclusion
So while not all birds make nests, nest-building is a common behavior among many bird species for protecting and raising their offspring.
I hope this post will somehow connect you more to birds and mother Nature. Though this topic is diverse, I have liked to keep it simple so that everyone can understand.
I hope you will like reading this post. Please feel free to leave your comments below. Your effort will be appreciated.
