Building a Home (Nests) Bridges to Birding Building a Home (Nests) - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Building a Home (Nests)

Bridges to Birding

Building a Home (Nests)

Learn: Types of Nests How Nests Help ID Birds Why, How, Where Birds Build Nests Materials Birds Use for Nests Human Impacts on Birds and Nests What You Should Do When You Find a Nest

Types of Nests

(*these are common at the Refuge)

• Scrape*
• Mound
• Burrow*
• Cavity*
• Cup*
• Saucer or plate*
• Pendant*
• Sphere*

Types of Nests (*these are common at the Refuge)

• Scrape*
• Mound
• Burrow*
• Cavity*
• Cup*
• Saucer or plate*
• Pendant*
• Sphere*

Encourage discussion about where the students might have seen such a nest, whether they have seen any today, and what types of birds they think might use each one. Have them describe each type using words or their hands.

SCRAPE

SCRAPE

• Simplest nest

construction

• Shallow depression in

soil or vegetation

• Rim to keep eggs from

rolling away

• Used by many ducks,

some falcons, pheasants.

• @ the Refuge, the

Bobwhite quail uses this type of nest SHOW EXAMPLE OF SCRAPE NEST (be careful of the eggs)

BURROW

BURROW

• Eggs, young and,

sometimes parent birds, are sheltered under the earth

• Used by burrowing owls
• Can use other burrows

left by prairie dogs, ground squirrels and badgers

Cavity Nest

Cavity Nest

• A chamber in living or dead wood but can be in tree

ferns, or large cacti

• Used by woodpeckers, chickadees, nuthatches,

bluebirds

• Cavity nesters can be enticed to use nest boxes

SHOW EXAMPLE OF NEST BOX (lid comes off)

Cup Nest

Cup Nest

• Birds that build this type of nest

include sparrows, finches, thrushes, and even hummingbirds.

• Nest might be built using spider

silk or saliva SHOW EXAMPLE OF CUP NEST (lid comes off)

Saucer or Plate Nest

Saucer or Plate Nest

• Used by Corvid family such as

Stellar’s & Scrub Jays, Crows and Ravens, and Raptors like hawks and eagles.

• Can be many times larger than the

birds themselves

• Nest might be used year after year,

adding new materials each year

Pendant Nest

Pendant Nest

• Bushtits, kinglets, and orioles are

some of the species that build this type of nest. SHOW EXAMPLE OF PENDANT NEST (inside fruit container)

Sphere Nest

Sphere Nest

Builders include Carolina, Marsh, Sedge and Cactus Wrens. SHOW EXAMPLE OF SPHERE NEST BOX

Building a Home (Nests)

Building a Home (Nests)

Where can Nests Be Found? Birds nest in one of the three main vegetation layers: understory or shrub layer (shrubby, weedy undergrowth beneath trees), mid-story or under canopy (includes shorter trees and taller shrubs), canopy and emergents (includes the tops of trees). Have them look around, noticing how the shrub layer remains. Ask them why they think the Refuge does this.

Building a Home (Nests)

Sagebrush and grass Deciduous trees Shrubs Sedges and rushes Water Aquatic Ecosystem Riparian Ecosystem Upland Ecosystem

Belted kingfisher White eyed vireo Yellow breasted chat Blue jay Gold fronted woodpecker Northern cardinal Red tailed hawk

• The photo the student are

looking at is a representation

• f how important every

vegetation level is important to birds as well as other types

• f wildlife.

Why do Birds Build Nests?

• Protection for eggs
• Keep eggs warm
• Raise young

After asking the question, have students tell you WHY they have a home.

Why do Birds Build Nests?

Do Birds Live in Nests Year- Round?

How Do Birds Build Their Nests?

Do Birds Live in Nests Year- Round?

How Do Birds Build Their Nests?

• Bills – act as chisels, drills, picks, shuttle for weaving, needles for

sewing, trowels for plastering, and forceps to pluck and insert.

• Feet – to stamp, scrape, knead, and scratch
• Breast – to mold material
• No. Birds start building nests in early spring, typically in March, but

some birds, such as the Anna’s Hummingbird will start building in late January or early February. The breeding season ends in late July for most songbirds.

A Robin Carrying Nesting Material in its Beak. A Weaver Bird Using its Feet and Beak to Build Its Nest. A Chimney Swift Uses Its Breast to Mold Its Nest into Shape.

A Robin Carrying Nesting Material in its Beak. A Weaver Bird Using its Feet and Beak to Build Its Nest. A Chimney Swift Uses Its Breast to Mold Its Nest into Shape.

Activity: Working at the table, have the students construct their

• wn nests in any of the shapes mentioned. As a challenge, have

them only use 2 fingers. While they work discuss the next few slides with them.

What Materials are Used to Build a Nest?

• Various materials like grasses, twigs, bark but

also man made items like string, hair, lint

• Some materials though are quite harmful to

birds

• Can you name what those things might be?

(trash)

Raptor with plastic bag around its neck. What is in that nest??

Human Impacts on Bird Nests (Instructor Key)

• Ospreys have a bad habit of

collecting baling twine for their nests (slide facing students).

Having survived an ice-age, numerous volcanic eruptions and earthquakes, our native species have endured some life- changing circumstances, but nothing has been more disruptive than the arrival of humans.

How Do Birds Protect the Nest?

• Difficult to reach- end of branch (Orioles)
• Hidden in tree hole, rock, or creek bank
• Resemble other objects in Habitat (Lichen covered

Hummer nests, GCW in cedar)

• Defended by parents
• Defended incidentally

by other animals nearby

How Do Birds Protect the Nest?

How Can You Help Birds with Their Nests?

How Can You Help Birds with Their Nests? (Instructor Key)

• Don’t Touch the Nest! even if it appears abandoned. It usually takes a few days for birds to build their nests and

for the female to lay her eggs in it once it is completed. It may still be active, touching or disturbing the nest may cause the parents to leave it.

• Stay Back from the Nest. Any attention that you may draw to the nest could attract or alert predators!
• If you find a baby bird on the ground, do not try to put it back into it’s nest. Some young birds that have left

the nest, will not be able to fly very well yet and this could be why the bird is on the ground. A bird found on the ground is not necessarily in danger of dying and is probably still being take care

• f by its parents.
• Observe the nest from a concealed spot. This is the safest way

to ensure that your presence will not disturb the parents, attract predators, or cause the parents to abandon the nest.