NEST

A 'nest' is place of refuge built to hold an animal's eggs and/or provide a place to raise their offspring. They are usually made of some organic material such as twigs, grass, and leaves; or may simply be a depression in the ground, or a hole in a tree, rock or building. Sometimes available human made materials such as string, plastic, cloth, hair, paper, etc. may be used as well.
Generally each species has a distinctive style of nest. Nests can be found in many different habitats.
Nests are built primarily by birds, but also by mammals, fish, insects and reptiles.
They may have some or all of the following zones: attachment; outer decorative layer; structural layer; lining.
Some birds will build nests in trees, some (such as vultures, eagles, and many seabirds like Kittiwakes) will build them on rocky ledges, and others nest on the ground or in burrows.

Contents

Nest shapes

Names of nests

Gallery

References

See also

External links

Nest shapes

There are eight mutually exclusive nest shapes:

★ Above ground

★
★ cup nest

★
★ dome

★
★ dome and tube

★
★ plate

★ On the ground

★
★ bed

★
★ scrape

★
★ mound

★ Below ground

★
★ burrow

Names of nests

★ An eagle's nest is called an eyrie.

★ A squirrel's nest is called a drey.

★ A hare's nest is called a form.

★ A pheasant's nest is called a nide.

★ A wasps' nest is called a vespiary.

Gallery

References

★ Hansell, ''Bird nests and construction behaviour'', CUP 2005, ISBN 0-521-01764-5

See also

★ Birdnesting – the criminal activity of collecting nests and eggs

★ Bird's nest soup

★ Crow's nest

★ Nest box

External links

★ www.earthlife.net/birds/nests.html