Birds and nests

1. Birds’ nests
Marvels of architecture and design
Anne Woodfield
ASAB

2. Why do birds build nests?
 To lay their eggs in and keep them safe
 To incubate their eggs
 To raise their chicks
 For protection from predators
 For protection from weather

3. Where do birds build nests?
 On the ground
 In bushes and trees
 In holes in trees
 In reeds by rivers, ponds and lakes
 In tunnels in river banks
 On cliff ledges
 On buildings, on ledges, under the eaves of
roofs and chimneys

4. What do birds build nests from?
 Sticks and twigs
 Grass stalks and reeds
 Mosses and lichens
 Leaves and down from plants
 Mud
 Feathers
 Hair and fur from other animals
 Spiders’ silk
 Man-made materials

5. What are the materials used for?
 Building the nest
 Holding the nest together
 Camouflaging the nest
 Lining the nest to make it soft and warm

6. Birds use materials with
different properties to build
their nests
 Sticks and twigs are strong
 Grass and reeds are flexible
 Plant down, feathers, animal hair and fur
are soft and light
 Spiders silk is sticky and elastic
 Wet mud can be moulded and used for
cementing other materials together

7. How do birds build their nests?
 Birds can use their beaks and feet to build
their nests.
 Birds can use their beaks and feet to carry
materials.
 Birds can shape their nests by rocking and
turning around in their nests.
Birds use their bodies and their brains to
build nests.
 Birds build their nests better and quicker
with practise.

8. Nest types - scrapes
Some birds make a hollow in the ground to
lay their eggs.
These hollows are called scrapes.
Some birds line their scrapes with grass
to make a cushion between the ground
and the eggs.

9. This is a scrape of a bird called the Oystercatcher.
The eggs are camouflaged amongst the
small pebbles and shells on a beach.
Can you see the eggs?
Judy Evans

10. Nest types - platform
Some birds make very simple flat nests out of
twigs. These nests are called platform nests.
Large birds such as Rooks, Magpies and Crows
make these types of nest.
Birds drop sticks and twigs on the top of each
other to make this type of nest.

11. This is a platform nest made by a Wood Pigeon.
Can you see that the twigs have been laid on top
of each other?

12. Nest types - Cup
Some birds make a nest shaped like a cup.
These nests can be made from small twigs,
grass stalks and moss.
They can be lined with feathers, plant down or
the hair or fur from other animals.

13. This is a cup nest made by a Song Thrush.
The nest is made from twigs, grass and moss.
The nest is lined with mud and rotten wood.

14. This is a cup nest made by a Blackbird.
The nest has been woven out of stalks of grass.

15. This is a cup nest made by a Whitethroat.
The nest is made from stalks of grass.
The stalks have been bent to make the nest.

16. This is a cup nest made by a Scottish Crossbill
Look how the thickest twigs are on the outside
of the nest. The nest is lined with feathers and
animal hairs.

17. The Reed Warbler
makes a deep cup
nest.
It is found in
reeds near water.
It uses reeds to
support the nest.
Nest types – Woven nests

18. Look how
carefully the
Reed Warbler
has attached
its nest to
the reeds?

19. The Long Tailed Tit makes a beautiful and
delicate nest.
The nest is made
from moss and is
stuck together
with spiders’ cocoon
silk. The nest is
elastic and expands
as the chicks grow
inside it.

20. The nest of the Long Tailed Tit is covered with
lichen to camouflage it. It is filled with feathers
to make it soft and warm inside.
There can be 2,000
feathers in the nest.
A Long Tailed Tit can fly
600-700 miles collecting
the feathers for its
nest.

21. The House Martin builds a cup shaped nest
against walls under eaves of roofs.
The nest has
been made of
mud and lined
with grass.
Why does it
look like half a
cup?
Other nests – half a cup

22. The House Martin uses mud to build its nest.
Look at the pellets of mud the nest
has been made from.

23. A Blue Tit makes its nest in ready made holes in
trees and use nesting boxes put up in gardens.
Look at the different layers in this nest.
This nest was made in a nesting box. How can
you tell?
Other nests – in holes

24. Birds often use man-made materials in their nests.
What materials have been used in this nest?
This is part of a Jackdaw’s nest.

25. Some birds make their nests in tunnels.
A Kingfisher uses its beak and feet to dig a
tunnel in river bank. It makes its nest at the
end of the tunnel.
Judy
Evans
Other nests – tunnels

26. What are the
following nests
made from?

27. The nest of a Blackbird

28. The nest of a House Martin

29. The nest of a Long Tailed Tit

30. The nest of a Reed Warbler

31. The nest of a Scottish Crossbill

32. The nest of a Song Thrush

33. The nest of a Wood Pigeon

34. Birds and their
nest building
ASAB

35. Acknowledgements
With many thanks to:
Prof. Mike Hansell, (University of Glasgow) for
advice and granting permission to photograph
nests in the National Reference Collection at
The Hunterian Museum, University of Glasgow.
Judy Evans for the illustration of the
Oystercatcher’s scrape and Kingfisher’s nest.