Hanging Nest

Among all nests build by birds , the hanging nests are the most complex nest bulding , an admirable of bird architecture. In indian the hanging nests found are that of Baya weaver and sunbirds. It require great skill by a bird to build such type of nest.The main purpose of such types of nests are protection from predators and adverse climate. These nests generally hung from the tip of a branch or leaf, or suspended between twigs. They are globular or retort-shaped with a single entrance hole. A completed baya nest looks like an upside down flask with a downward tube like pointing entrance .The swollen portion of the nest is the main nesting area or egg chamber.The sunbird nest is build with cobwebs and caterpillar excreta hanging from a tip of a branch or twig.

Cup nest with roof

The cup shaped nest with roof are more advanced than the usual cup nest.They are generally rounded or elliptical in shape and appears like a ball with a side entrance.This type of nest offer more protection to the eggs and chicks than a simple cup nest.These nests are built with grasses, leaves, fibers, small sticks etc.The inner is covered with soft materials to provide more comfort. Birds like Red munia, scally breasted munia, rufous bellied babbler, white munia, rufous winged bushlark etc build this types of nest. The photo above shows the nest of rufous bellied babbler.The nest is found in the vicinity of river Mahanadi in Sambalpur, Orissa, India.

Cup Nest

Fig: Cup nest built by Asian Paradise Flycatcher

The cup shape nest is the 3rd inorder of simple to complex nest In my previous posts I have given information about first two type of nests.The cup shaped nest is more advanced than simple twig nest.This is the most typical form of nest and found in abundant as most flycatchers build this type of nest.The cup shape nest have a clear inside as well as an outside and the inside is lined with softer materials for more comfort.This type of nest also provide more protection for both the eggs and chicks.They are generally build at the forked branch of a tree i.e either "V" or "Y" shaped branch.These nests are build with leaves, grasses, finer twigs sticked together with cobwebs. Birds like Asian Paradise Flycatcher, Monarch Flycatcher, Faintail Flycatcher, Humming birds, Bulbul,Oriole, Drongo etc build cup shaped nest.

Nesting Behaviour of Birds: Simple nest

This post of mine is continuation of nesting behaviour of birds.Simple nests or twig nests are built using plant material mainly twigs and sticks.The twigs are gathered on tree branches to build a simple platform just to support the eggs. Some nests have a depression on the middle but generally they don't have any inner or outer side.The eggs can be seen through the nest from below.common example of simple nests are those build by pigeons,doves, herons,Gulls and Eagles.

Nesting Behaviour of Birds: No Nest

The most simple form of nest is no nest at all.Many birds donot build any nest.They either lay eggs directly on the bare ground or rock surface. Some make simple scrap on the ground to lay eggs. It is observed that birds who leaves the nest soon after hatching, generally build this type of nest or more accurately they don't need complex nest at all.Nightjars lay their two eggs directly onto the ground.Birds like Plovers, Pratincoles, Lapwings, Little tern make simple scrap to lay eggs. As the eggs are on open surface they generally camoufladge with their surrounding and there by protected from predators. The picture above is a Little ringed Plover Nest with egg on open ground near a river bank.

Nesting Behaviour of Birds

Nesting Behavior of Birds

There is a common misconception that Birds build nests to live in it. It is not true. The fact is that birds build nest to lay eggs, raise their chicks, protect them from predators and adverse climate. Birds are notable for their instinct to build nest like humans and other animals. The nest varies from no nest (e.g Pratincoles) to very complex nest ( Baya weaver).

The nesting behavior of birds, the shape and size of nest varies according to their habitat, climate, breeding season, size and physiology of bird and amount of threat by predators. Broadly the nests can be divided into 12 categories.

1. No nest/ scrap nest

2. Simple twig nest

3. Cup nest

4. Cup nest with roof

5. Ball nest

6. Hanging / very complex nest

7. Mud nest

8. Hole nest in ground

9. Hole nest in tree

10. Floating nest

11. Edible nest

In my upcoming posts I will deal details about the individual nests.Birds are notable for their ability to build their nests most skillfully.

Sunbird, The Nesting

Nesting Season of Sunbird varies from February to June.Both the Purple and purple-rumped Sunbird has similar nesting behavior.I have discussed in detail how they build their nest in my post " Sunbird, The nest". The female generally lays 2 to 3 eggs of grayish color with brown spots.The female incubates the egg for a period of about two weeks.The young birds are fed by both the parents.The chicks feed almost 3 times more than their body weight.It is my personal observation that both the parent visit the nest almost 40 times in an hour to feed the chicks. Fledging period is almost 12 days.It is a great pleasure to watch the chicks coming out of the nest and jumping from branch to branch and the parents following them.