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 use their bodies and their brains to build nests.
Birds can use their beaks and feet to carry
materials.
Birds can use their beaks and feet to build
their nests.
Birds can shape their nests by rocking and
turning around in their 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.
Judy Evans
The eggs are camouflaged amongst the
small pebbles and shells on a beach.
Can you see the eggs?

10. Nest types - platform Some birds make very simple flat nests out of
twigs. These nests are called platform nests.
Birds drop sticks and twigs on the top of each other to make this type of nest.
Large birds such as Rooks, Magpies and Crows
make these types 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. Nest types – Woven nests
The Reed Warbler makes a deep cup nest.
It is found in reeds near water.
It uses reeds to support the nest.

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 miles collecting
the feathers for its nest.

21. Other nests – half a cup 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?

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

23. Other nests – in holes
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?

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

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

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.