Ball-shaped bird nests. Materials: types and advantages. Step-by-step construction instructions
, because they were sure that these gazebos were toy houses for native children.
It could not even occur to them that small birds the size of a starling, screaming anxiously in the neighboring bushes, had anything to do with these buildings, and besides, they had never found bird eggs in the gazebos. And yet, it turned out that such pavilions are built and decorated during the breeding season by males of the striped gardener - a bird belonging to the bowerbird family.
Bowerbirds' bowers are designed to attract females; courtship rituals and mating take place around them, and the females of these birds lay their testicles in a traditional cup-shaped nest built nearby. The mating behavior of male bowerbirds, who spend a lot of time and effort building “pavilions of love,” is a unique phenomenon in the world of birds. The building abilities of other birds are manifested only when creating nests intended exclusively for breeding, and only a few species also use them for overnight stays outside the breeding season.
The well-known kingfishers, bee-eaters, rollers, and shore swallows make nests in deep burrows dug in steep cliffs.
Many birds nest in tree hollows, and some of them (such as woodpeckers) hollow them out on their own, while others use the results of someone else’s labor or natural hollows.
Often such nests are used for many years and are even inherited (there is a known nest of white storks that lasted about 400 years). Since the birds repair and build on the nest every year, its size and weight increase from year to year. For example, the weight of one bald eagle nest, measured after the branches supporting it broke off and it fell to the ground, was 2 tons.
If the platform nests of large birds are able to amaze the imagination with their durability and size, then the houses of smaller birds amaze with the functionality of the design and the variety of materials used. Nest of our smallest birds northern forests- kinglets - only in appearance it seems like a simple soft cup of mosses and lichens, lined inside with down and wool.
But this house, weighing only about 20 g, stores heat so reliably that the bird can leave it for almost half an hour without fear that the tiny eggs will cool down. And during rain, it absorbs more than 60 g of water, remaining absolutely dry inside, and cannot be torn from the branch by the most strong wind, when the chicks grow up and their total weight reaches almost 100 g, it stretches by a third without losing strength. Such exceptional properties of the nest are achieved thanks to a rather complex three-layer structure, carefully selected heat-insulating materials, and the fact that its frame is made of spider web - a fantastically durable and elastic material.
The most difficult design problems have to be solved by birds whose nests do not rest in the forks of branches, but are suspended from them. However, this location of the nest is the safest, so many birds spare no time and effort in arranging such dwellings. Thus, mitten tits hang mitten nests on thin branches of trees bending over the water. The basis of the nest is made up of skillfully intertwined straws, roots, and nettle fibers, the spaces between which are so thoroughly caulked with plant fluff that the resulting fabric is not inferior in its properties to wool felt.
One of the most numerous birds of the tropical regions of Africa, weavers, have perfectly mastered the technique of macrame, learning not only to weave, but also to tie plant fibers and blades of grass with various knots. To stock up on building material, birds pluck flexible straws of green cereals or, grasping the edge of a palm leaf with their beaks, fly up, spreading it into narrow strips. In some species of weavers, nests look like neat balls, in others - like long bags or mittens; weavers living in colonies set up “apartment buildings” in which hundreds of individual nests are located under a common roof.
The seamstress bird from South-East Asia, a close relative of our warblers. She makes her nest in a bag rolled up from one large or several small leaves. To prevent the edges of the bag from diverging, the bird makes holes in them, through which it pulls plant fibers or cobwebs, tying the free ends with knots.
Clay is a favorable material for nest construction. Magpies and field thrushes coat the nest tray with it, many species of swallows make their own pitcher nests from it various shapes. But the most substantial clay buildings are erected by South American birds - the red-backed ovenbirds. On thick horizontal branches, fence posts or house roofs, they build a massive foundation for a future building from lumps of clay mixed with manure, then lay out the walls and dome-shaped ceiling. The result is a structure similar to a round oven with an oval entrance-entrance leading to the “front”, through a low partition from which there is a nesting chamber lined with soft material. Having dried under the rays of the hot sun, the walls of the building become as strong as stone, and they can only be broken with a sledgehammer.
Recognized as originals in nest construction, swifts widely use their own saliva, which quickly hardens in air, as a cementing material. Common inhabitants of our cities, black swifts, pick up plant fluff, scraps of paper and other garbage in the air and, gluing it all together with saliva, build cup-shaped nests in secluded niches in attics. The nests of cayenne swifts, which live in the tropical regions of America, are long (up to half a meter) tubes hanging from rocky cliffs, the walls of which consist of plant materials glued together with saliva. But they were surpassed by small swifts, gray salangans, nesting in caves in some areas of Southeast Asia. Their nests, similar to translucent cups, consist entirely of frozen saliva. If you cook such a nest by adding spices, you get a dish similar in taste and nutritional value to a gelatin solution - the famous “swallow’s nest soup.” The Chinese love it very much, so large colonies of gray swiftlets have become a rarity these days.
Among the most phenomenal achievements of the art of construction, there are real unique ones, such as the nests of the crested swift. These swifts attach a tiny slightly concave plate made of saliva and pieces of bark to a horizontally located branch, where they lay a single egg, also gluing it with saliva for safety. The nest is so small and fragile that the incubating bird sits not in it, but on a branch; very soon the chick that has grown out of its nest is forced to move here. And the palm swift hatches its chicks in very spartan conditions. This bird glues a plate of saliva and plant fibers to the underside of a coconut palm leaf, and 2 eggs to it. The palm leaf hangs down, and the bird, clinging to the nest with its claws, incubates the clutch not sitting, but hanging on it. The chicks also spend 2-3 weeks in this position until they fledge and can finally leave their uncomfortable cradle.
The features of nest construction and its location are the same characteristic features species, such as plumage color or behavioral characteristics. Therefore, even without seeing the bird itself, a specialist, by looking at the nest, can quite clearly determine what kind of bird it was built by. True, birds can change long-established traditions and experiment, for example, with new nesting materials. Of course, there is nothing surprising if they use cotton wool and paper collected from human habitation to line their nests, or make nests in cans, but there are also very funny cases. Thus, at one of the ornithological conventions, a crow’s nest was presented, built entirely from artificial materials.
The ability to build nests is hereditary, and most birds bred in captivity and never having seen what their nest should look like can build one more or less accurately if provided with the appropriate materials. But on at least, some species of birds can learn this craft. Male weaver birds begin to try to build nests long before reaching sexual maturity, destroying the first unsuccessful results of their work and starting to work again, until they finally get a nest that can please picky females. After all, the construction of a house for chicks must meet numerous and varied requirements. The shape and location of the nest, and even its color, are important here, because in such a serious matter as breeding offspring, there are no trifles.
Birds build nests to lay their eggs. Nests protect eggs from the cold and from egg-loving animals. The method of nest construction depends on the bird's habitat.
Some forest birds make nests from twigs and leaves high in trees or in thickets of plants close to the ground. Others weave nests hanging from branches. Woodpeckers nest in hollows that they make in tree trunks with their powerful beaks. Many seabirds simply lay their eggs on ledges or cliff faces. This provides the eggs with good protection, since it is difficult for enemies to reach them. Some birds dig holes in the ground, and there are others that use bird houses built by humans or.
Woven Nest
The small remez builds an elegant nest that resembles a bag hanging from a branch. The nest is woven from fragments of plants and animal hair, for example, sheep wool. The hole is only on one side. The eggs, and then the chicks, are securely hidden inside the nest.
Nest in the ground
The American rabbit owl lays its eggs in a hole in the ground. Sometimes she uses holes left by the American groundhog or other animals, but with the help of her beak and strong paws she can dig a hole herself.
Taped socket
Swifts make their nests on steep cliffs, cave walls or even on houses. The nest is built from leaves, stems and feathers, glued together with sticky saliva.
Nest on the water
The coot builds a floating nest attached to reeds or other aquatic plants. The male brings dry leaves and stems, and the female builds a nest from them.
Slender-billed guillemot
This bird lays a single egg on a bare rock ledge on sea coast. It would seem that the egg could easily roll down, but this is not so: one end is sharp, and when pushed, the egg rotates in a circle and does not roll down. All six families of the order Woodpeckers carry out most They live in trees and near trees and build their nests in hollows. Most of these birds have strong claws, which they use to grab branches and trunks. Short, rounded wings make it easier for them to fly between trees. They have large, powerful beaks. Jacamaras and honeyeaters feed primarily on insects, but most birds in this order eat both insects and fruit.
V. VISHNEVSKY, graduate student of the Moscow Agricultural Academy named after. K. A. Timiryazeva. Photo by the author.
Science and life // Illustrations
Science and life // Illustrations
Science and life // Illustrations
Science and life // Illustrations
Science and life // Illustrations
Science and life // Illustrations
Science and life // Illustrations
Science and life // Illustrations
Science and life // Illustrations
Science and life // Illustrations
Science and life // Illustrations
Science and life // Illustrations
Science and life // Illustrations
Science and life // Illustrations
Science and life // Illustrations
Science and life // Illustrations
Science and life // Illustrations
Science and life // Illustrations
Science and life // Illustrations
Science and life // Illustrations
Science and life // Illustrations
Science and life // Illustrations
Science and life // Illustrations
It just so happened that I fell irrevocably in love with the beautiful and mysterious world birds. Their appearance, singing and ability to fly have delighted people since time immemorial. It’s just a pity that we often forget about the beauty that is next to us.
Many people collect postage stamps, postcards and the like as children. I, driven by curiosity and excitement, decided, while still at school, to collect bird eggs. What's special about them? First of all, the coloring. It is only chickens that have dull white or brownish eggs. And in most wild birds they are surprisingly varied: in the song thrush they are blue, in corvids they are greenish with brown spots, in the green mockingbird they are pink... Don’t believe me? And I didn’t believe it until I saw it with my own eyes.
Unfortunately, over time, these precious trophies, no matter how hard you hide them from sunlight in a box, fade and lose color, like plucked flowers. Moreover, if you do not blow out the contents of the egg, the shell may crack and the exhibit will be damaged. In addition, there are many species of birds that, without hesitation, abandon their clutches (especially in the first stages) at the slightest human intervention. It was necessary to find a way so as not to harm the birds.
Photography is what can preserve the colors and not destroy the egg. You don't even need to touch the nest! First I for a long time photographed with a point-and-shoot camera. But one fine day I bought Zenit. This gave me the opportunity to collect not only eggs, but also... entire nests! Last year I switched to four megapixel digital camera, however, even that is no longer enough for me. In the future I want to buy something more serious. Because moments in nature are unique, and the footage that captures them is priceless!
Linnet's resourcefulness
Red is a popular color in the bird world. Especially if it's on your chest. Linnet is no exception. True, only the male can boast of the elegant brick-red color of his plumage. The female, as usual, wears a nondescript brownish “dress” with longitudinal dark streaks on the front. This camouflage helps the bird remain undetected when it is sitting in the nest.
Hemp nests can be located in the most unexpected places. I found them under the roof of barns, on the fence, in the woodpile. Apparently, something attracts these birds to human settlements. Of course, they also make their nests in trees, usually not high from the ground, but more often in dense, low-growing bushes.
I observed the most unexpected nesting option for linnet on an old cherry tree stump in the garden. The bird found a cozy niche under a piece of burlap hung on a stump and forming a kind of hut. Even the cats never found out that under their noses a small birdie laid five light-colored speckled eggs and safely hatched the chicks.
Turquoise lentils
"Did you see lentils? Did you see lentils?" - asks a restless male lentil in a ruby-red apron. But this is only the appearance of concern. In fact, he knows perfectly well where his wife is. She sits quietly in a nest hidden in the very thick of the thorn bushes. And it’s not for nothing that a mosaic of small bush leaves is spread out above the hen. After all, if it were not for this cover, then when the bird was separated from the nest, the bright, juicy turquoise colors of the eggs would immediately catch the eye. By the way, they are very similar in color to song thrush eggs, they even have black dots, but the size is different. Lentil eggs are slightly larger than beans, as befits a passerine “caliber” bird.
forest pipit
A mushroom picker I know told me that he came across a nest in a birch hollow: “A small bird flew out from under my feet. I looked down - among the grass, on the ground, there was a depression - a nest. And in it were brown eggs with spots.” I immediately understood from the description that this was a hobby.
Camera in hand, and together with the mushroom picker I go across the river into the mentioned hollow. That’s right: the forest pipit has built a neat nest on the slope. If you don't know where it is, you'll never notice.
I quickly took a picture of the testicles and left, so as not to once again test my parents’ patience. Two weeks later I visited: the chicks had hatched. About two more weeks will pass, and the young fledglings will leave the cramped nest and hide nearby in the thick grass.
Hoodie
When we walk in a park or forest, wander along a river, relax on a lawn, we don’t even suspect that we are... being watched. A person, and especially a group of people, attracts the attention of gray crows everywhere. These birds are not observing us out of idle curiosity. They have long noticed that where people stay for quite a long time, you can often find something edible, for example, the remains of a meal in the lap of nature.
Now let’s imagine that, while walking among the white-trunked birches of the May forest, we suddenly came across a skillfully hidden finch nest. Of course, you want to take a good look at it, touch it - and now the disguise is broken. Soon we will leave, but we will be replaced by the storm of bird's nests - the hooded crow. It was not for nothing that she kept her distance and spent an hour observing nature lovers. As a reward for his patience and attentiveness, the crow will receive a nice dinner, and the couple of finches will have to come to terms with the loss and begin building a new nest.
But no matter how ruthless the robber is in relation to other people's eggs and chicks, she tries to protect her offspring from predators and builds a nest-bowl on tall branchy trees. For greater strength, in addition to coarse branches, aluminum wire is often woven into the walls. And the tray for warmth and softness is lined with animal hair, sometimes mixed with rags, newspaper scraps and even polyethylene.
For exactly 21 days, like a hen, the hooded crow hatches its crows. And then, from five or six speckled green eggs, voracious chicks are born, and oh, how the troubles of our cheat increase!
White wagtail selection
Among the birds, there is a group of hollow nesters - those who prefer to breed their offspring in hollows hollowed out by woodpeckers. There are not enough such hollows for everyone, so you have to be content with artificial birdhouses, titmouses and so-called natural hollows, which are formed in the place of a rotten twig.
The white wagtail builds a nest in natural hollows. Usually she chooses an old willow with a rotten core and makes a cozy “cup” in the shelter, in which she lays five or six grayish-white eggs with small dark specks.
The wagtail is not very picky about choosing a nesting site. I had to observe her nests in an abandoned bus, excavator, and combine harvester. The only condition is that a suitable niche must be close to the reservoir where the wagtails find food for themselves and their chicks.
Blackbird colony
It is easier to fight ground and air predators together. Fieldfare thrushes know this simple truth and build nests close to each other: at a distance of 10-30 meters. Together, they drive away from the nesting territory such a hunter of other people's eggs and chicks as the hooded crow. Fieldfare and the person who steps into their domain are greeted with loud chatter. Moreover, if you get too close to the nest, you cannot avoid an attack. Swooping over the very head of the troublemaker, blackbirds release strategic portions of droppings (from a scientific point of view, this is implausible, because birds cannot have “targeted” peristalsis, but I have been convinced more than once that blackbirds, common terns and gulls are capable of this). And for a few shots of a nest with green eggs with brown spots you have to pay with soiled clothes.
Finch
The well-known finch perfectly camouflages its nest, which is small, like half a large apple. The outer walls of its construction necessarily contain translucent ribbons of birch bark, soft plant stems, green moss, as well as insect cocoons and cobwebs. All this blends perfectly with the grayish bark of the tree on which the nest is built. Chaffinch - no rare view, so I was often able to find his nest with a cozy tray, in which there were usually four or five yellowish or bluish eggs with large and small red-brown spots.
Oatmeal's nest
Not all birds make nests in trees. The bunting, for example, places its nest right on the ground, near some hummock or bush. A wicker basket is firmly fixed among the grass, and inside are pinkish testicles, as if painted by an impressionist artist. Here you have not just specks and specks on the main background, but also dark lines, commas, dashes.
Alas, it is useless to specifically look for a bunting’s nest: you are more likely to accidentally crush it than to notice it among the grass. But I don’t yet have a sniffer dog like the famous ornithologist-naturalist Evgeniy Pavlovich Spangenberg (author of the books “Notes of a Naturalist”, “Among Nature”, “Encounters with Animals”, etc.), which was taught to look for bird nests. It’s just that one day my younger sister and I were picking berries near a planting of young pine trees, and my sister came across this nest by accident. Of course I couldn't help but take a photo of him!
Little robber
Do you know which of our birds of prey is the smallest? No, this is not a Hobby or a Sparrow's Owl! This is a shrike. True, strictly speaking, it does not belong to the order of diurnal carnivores or owls. The most common among shrikes is the shrike, a representative of the large order of passeriformes. On his head he has a gray “helmet” with black “glasses” - the most suitable “ammunition” for a real robber. When the shrike is not hungry, it willingly stores food for future use: it will catch some mouse, behead it, and impale it on a thorn thorn or a sharp branch of a wild pear. The shrike also likes to make its nest among thorns - it’s safer. In a bowl woven from coarse stems and twigs, the modestly brown-colored female lays five or six grayish or brownish eggs with dark spots, forming a kind of corolla at the blunt end. Not eggs, but a sight for sore eyes!
common tern
In some cases, to take a good photo, you have to get into the water.
A couple of common terns chose a small island in the middle of the pond, and I had no choice but to undress and wade. Fortunately, the day was sunny - truly June. The water is warm, and shallow - waist-deep.
With the Zenit around my neck, I made it to the island. As expected, I found on it, among the scraps of cattail leaves, three pear-shaped eggs of a brownish-green color, merging with the general background. Dark spots and the spots on the shell masked them perfectly. Meanwhile, my parents became worried and... dropped bombs on me - droppings! Immediately two more white lumps plopped into the water. It turned out that the river gulls decided to “attack” me, but did not hit me. These are the unforgettable impressions I have about this photo trophy.
Eared head
If you have ever met an owl somewhere in a park, near a river or in a forest, then most likely it was the most numerous of the nocturnal predators long-eared owl. She doesn't make nests herself. Most often, the long-eared head occupies the nest of a hooded crow, magpie or birds of prey.
Already in March, the female lays from five to seven eggs, the number of which directly depends on the availability of the main prey - mouse-like rodents. There is nothing remarkable in the color of the eggs - it is white, but the shape is unusual - it resembles a barrel. It is difficult to distinguish between blunt and sharp ends.
The long-eared owl incubates eggs very persistently. Once I got to the very nest, but the bird desperately tried to stop me until the last moment: it pricked up its feathery ears and bulged its round eyes. It flew off the nest only when I rose to the same level as the edge of the tray! "Boo-boo!" - said the alarmed hen.
Sorokino wealth
No matter how much the thief magpie is criticized for its tendency to drag all sorts of shiny things, I have never had the opportunity to be convinced of the correctness of this notorious feature. But every spring I find new ones or visit old, known to me, nests of white-sided robbers. And I didn’t find anything amazing in any of them, except maybe aluminum wire, which building material It just perfectly holds a spherical pile of branches together with a deep, strong tray-bowl. The magpie's nest is special - it is closed on all sides. Often hidden in dense thorn bushes. And therefore, getting to it, even if you find it, costs considerable effort. A sharp thorns bush - rest assured! - will not leave without scratches.
No matter how much I tried to photograph the magpie's nest, I was unable to do so. Either it is impossible to climb, or the “tent” over the bowl is so dense that there is nowhere to stick the lens, and the flash will be useless. But one day I got lucky. A secretive bird has built a nest in the wilds of young willows among the swamp. And through the “window” of the nest-“tent” I managed to photograph the greenish speckled eggs. Here is another secret of nature - in full view! It is not diamonds and gold chains that the magpie hides, but the most precious thing - future chicks.
The photographs were taken in the vicinity of the village of Denisovo, Pronsky district, Ryazan region and in the Timiryazevsky district of Moscow, on the territory of the Agricultural Academy park.
The nests of birds that settle in burrows are usually located deep in the ground, so getting to know their eggs and chicks is difficult. Under no circumstances should you attempt to dig a hole. Such attempts usually lead to eggs and chicks being buried under collapsed ground.
It is important to be able to distinguish a non-residential hole from a residential one, which is determined by freshly crumbled earth and characteristic traces - “paths” formed from the constant passage of the bird through the hole. In general, our burrowing birds are few in number.
Some of them are distributed only in the southern half of the country and penetrate into the middle latitudes in small quantities. Shore swallow Nests in colonies in cliffs near water. The hole is dug out by the birds themselves. Some colonies have hundreds of burrows.
The nest is placed at the end of the hole, at a distance of 0.6-1 meter from the entrance. The hole diameter is 40-60 millimeters.
Nests can only be found south of Moscow.
Colonial nesting is typical. In the southern regions, dozens of pairs nest together, in the more northern regions - several pairs. The burrow is dug by the birds themselves, most often in a steep bank of a river or ravine. The diameter of the inlet is 50-80 millimeters.
The stroke length is 1 - 1.5 meters, there is no nesting lining. The clutch contains 5-8 white spherical eggs.
The egg is about 25 millimeters long. The chicks are initially naked, then quickly become covered with stumps of growing feathers, which do not open for a long time. The observed difference in the ages of the chicks is explained by the non-simultaneity of their hatching, due to the fact that incubation begins before the end of egg laying. Bee-eaters stay cautiously near nests and rarely fly close. They usually hover high in the air and emit deep calling calls “fru-fru”. These birds are amazingly beautiful in color and graceful in body shape. Their underside is greenish-blue, the throat is yellow, the top is golden-brown, and the beak is long and slightly curved. Common kingfisher It nests in separate pairs in cliffs near the river, sometimes on a steep roadside or in a ravine, usually not far from the water, but sometimes at a distance of several hundred meters. The burrow is dug out by the birds themselves and can be occupied from year to year. The entrance hole, 50-60 meters wide, is often hidden by bush branches, but sometimes clearly visible. Stroke depth 0.5-1 meter..
There is no nesting litter, except for scattered pellets made from fish bones. The clutch contains 4-8 white spherical eggs. The chicks hatch naked. The stumps of growing feathers do not open for a long time. Adult birds are rarely seen. They quickly fly along the river, emitting a high, piercing cry “piik...”. Their plumage is extremely bright, sparkling in the sun with blue, green and red tones. The massive long beak attracts attention. In addition to the birds mentioned above, some species that nest in more northern latitudes in hollows, among stones or in human buildings also settle in burrows, mainly on the cliffs of steppe ravines. This roller, little owl, starling, wheatear, both types sparrows- makes nests in remote forest rivers. The entrance to the flogging is usually covered by the roots of a tree growing on the shore, the branches of bushes and is not easy to notice. Nests are made in natural burrows under stones, in crevices, and in caves. heaters. They can even be seen in new residential areas of cities, where they nest under concrete slabs abandoned in vacant lots.
Kingfisher
It remains to describe hollow nesters' dwellings, many of which are common human companions.
Of the relatively large birds nesting in hollows, we will focus first of all on woodpeckers The biggest - yellow- hollows out hollows in birch, aspen, and pine trees at a height of up to 15 m. Its large hollow is usually somewhat elongated, almost rectangular in shape, and the ground beneath it is strewn with sawdust and pieces of wood, broken off by the powerful beak of the pine tree.
Great Spotted Woodpecker prefers aspen trees for hollows. The entrance is completely round, with a diameter of 5-6 cm and located at a height of two to five meters. Often it is located under the tinder fungus as if under a visor. On the same tree there are several test holes, among which it is not immediately possible to find the real hole. Woodpecker chicks always give themselves away by screaming.
Hollow green woodpecker something round, but larger than that of the big motley one. The Green Woodpecker is a wary bird and to observe it you must be patient and quiet.
Positive chiselling value woodpeckers is not only about destroying
xylophagous insects, but also in their construction activities: using a hollow only once, they provide shelters and homes for hollow-nesting birds that did not have enough “area,” and dormice, martens, squirrels, and bats.
In old woodpecker hollows willingly settles in wood pigeon. The incubating female is sometimes visible from the outside. Keeps them occupied and wryneck- a bird from the order Woodpeckers, so named for the way its chicks hiss and rotate their heads when they see an enemy. In the dim depths of the hollow, the predator easily mistakes the bird for a snake and retreats.
Jackdaw also belongs to the cavity nesters, but lives not in the forest, but near humans - this is one of the synanthropic species. Jackdaws They settle in small colonies in attics, behind fences, in bell towers and, which is very unpleasant, in chimneys and chimneys. Jackdaw nests are made from twigs with all kinds of bedding - even paper and thread.
Starlings If they are not offered houses, they also make nests in hollows. The outside of the starling's hollow is often smeared with droppings.
From small hollow nesters in gardens, parks and mixed forests most common pied flycatcher. She begins nesting late, in May, when tits already have chicks. She places birch bark and dry leaves at the base of the nest, and winds thin dry blades of grass on top. The pestle has 5-6 bright blue eggs.
Unlike the pestle gray flycatcher does not occupy hollows or titmice, but often nests close to housing: on eaves, horizontal beams under the roof, behind platbands. Its nest is a careless heap of all kinds of rubbish (papers, hair, rags, feathers), compressed by the weight of the bird and its offspring. The nest is almost never visible under the incubating bird. Occupies similar places white wagtail, but she tries to make a nest under some kind of roof, at least under the canopy of a slate roof. The white wagtail is called a semi-hollow nester, since it does not live in real hollows.
Titmouses and birdhouses very often occupy sparrows - house and field sparrows. Their tropical relatives - weavers- make spherical nests. The sparrow also builds the same spherical nest, but in a house. Therefore, after the sparrow, not a single bird can occupy his apartment without cleaning it, there are so many feathers, straw, tow - right up to the roof!
However, gradually all this garbage disperses to other nests. Except starling, not a single bird cleans its home after itself. In artificial nests, a person has to do this.
Less often than pied flycatchers, hollows and hollows in the garden are occupied by garden redstarts. Their buildings resemble the nests of pied birds, but are somewhat looser. With frequent visits redstarts easily throw the masonry.
Construction common nuthatch can be easily distinguished by the clay coating of the taphole, both from the inside and sometimes from the outside. The nuthatch narrows the “door” according to its growth. The bedding in the hollow is a pile of pine bark.
tits They start nesting very early. Usually the great tit settles in nest boxes. Tit nests very thick and warm, take up a lot of space in the house. The base is usually a lot of moss, which is supported by a tray of wild animal hair and horsehair. Tits have large clutches - up to 15 eggs, which are larger in great tits than in other species. The eggs are speckled, the background is always white.
Titmouse very rarely occupies artificial nesting sites; usually she prefers to hollow out hollows herself. This difficult task For such a small bird, the chickadee chooses thin rotten aspen and alder trees for its hollow. The entrance is always irregularly shaped, with pieces of wood pinched off by the beak sticking out...
pika, Unlike the nuthatch, it cannot be called a true cavity nester. Usually she chooses cracks and voids behind loose bark, long dilapidated hollows. The pillars of such a shelter are very unreliable, so pika makes a nest with a deep, strong tray from the most various materials, tightly stitched with cobwebs.
Black swifts They return from wintering late, when all the nesting sites are mostly occupied, but, as large and strong birds, they expel sparrows and other birds from their houses, even despite the presence of clutches or chicks in those houses. Nesting material swift- highly specialized flyer - catches in the air. He uses any little thing - straws, fluffs, threads and hairs raised by the wind - for a nest. To prevent it from flying apart, the swift cements this pile with its own saliva. He uses one nest for several years, since catching material for a new one is not an easy task. The old nest reaches 15 cm in diameter.
During the period of feeding the chicks, a further increase in the activity of the adult bird is observed. This, of course, applies to a greater extent to chicks or species whose chicks require tireless care. The birds subordinate their entire “schedule” to feeding the brood, sometimes at the expense of their own feeding. For example , pied flycatcher brings food to chicks up to 600 times a day. The number of arrivals to the nest per unit of time for any species of bird is easy for an observer to calculate himself. Such figures are usually very instructive, since they directly reflect positive role insectivorous birds in the forest biocenosis.
