Nest
From Free net encyclopedia
Current revision
- For other uses, see Nest (disambiguation).
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.
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.
An eagle's nest is also called an eyrie.
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
Gallery
 Single egg in the nest of an American Robin. |
 Nest in grass |
 Rooks' nests |
 3 Great Horned Owl chicks in their nest. |
 The inside of a bird's nest |
 Redwings typically make ground nests. |
 Chicks in a nest |
 Mud nests made by swallows. |
 Female Bald Eagle on nest with egg |
 A nest in a lamp. |
References
- Hamsell, 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
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