Stuff about Bird Nests Trivia Quiz

Answer: Sociable weaver

The sociable weaver (Philetairus socius) from southern Africa builds the largest nests in the avian word, housing several generations of up to 100 pairs of breeding birds. The community is highly structured with temperature controlled areas and each nest has its own downward pointing entrance.

A number of other species, such as the pygmy falcon, use the nests at the same time. Snakes, such as Cape cobra and boomslang snakes, will also visit for days at a time, eating most of the eggs. Sharp sticks and thorns are used to try and deter predators.

Answer: Great hornbill

One of the larger members of the family, the great hornbill (Buceros bicornis) has been known to live for 50 years in captivity. The female finds a hollow in a tree at breeding time and, with the help of her mate, seals herself into the hollow using a mud plaster.

She leaves a narrow slot through which her mate feeds her during her confinement. This can last for up to five months during which the mother and chicks are entirely dependant on the male bird for their food. All but two of the hornbill species do something similar, mainly as a protection against predators.

Answer: Malleefowl

A ground dwelling species, the male malleefowl (Leipoa ocellata) constructs a large nest during the winter. He starts by scraping a depression about three metres wide and a metre deep, which is then filled in with a mix of organic material and sand to form a mound about 0.6 metres high. After rain the male turns over the material to encourage composting.

If the compost-generated warmth is suitable, the female lays up to 30 eggs in a chamber which is then covered in sand. The male continues to add material and sand into the summer, perhaps to regulate the temperature in the nest.

A chick will hatch by itself and take as long as fifteen hours to reach the surface. After a motionless rest for some minutes, it runs off alone into the bush. The parents have no contact with their chicks during this period.

Answer: Golden-headed cisticola

Just before the breeding season, the male cisticola (Cisticola exilis) acquires its golden-headed colouring and starts advertising for mates by singing and aerial diving. It will then build the framework for several nests by sewing leaves together. This is done by using its bill to make holes in the leaf margin and pulling through spider silk as thread, a technique unique to this family of birds.

After attracting up to a dozen or so females, he mates with them before leaving them to finish the nests.

Answer: Jungle crow

In Tokyo, where there is an apparent shortage of more conventional nesting materials, some jungle crows (Corvus macrorhynchos) have learnt to use coat hangers. This can be problematic when nests are built on power lines. In fact the Tokyo government spend millions of yen removing such nests due to the blackouts metal coat hangers cause during the summer breeding season.

Answer: White-nest swiftlet

More commonly known as the edible-nest swiftlet (Aerodramus fuciphagus), it makes its nest on cave walls almost entirely from strings of saliva. Bird's nest soup is mainly made from the nests of a couple of swiftlet species. Authentic soup is very expensive and highly prized in China. Western-versions typically use noodles shaped like a nest. Birds in the Aerodramus genus are unusual in using echolocation to navigate caves in darkness.

Answer: Ruby-throated hummingbird

The female is responsible for building the nest and raising the family. Preferred nesting sites are on deciduous tree limbs. The nest is walnut-sized, made from bud scales with a lichen-covered exterior bound by spider silk and is typically lined on the inside with dandelion or thistle down. The use of spider silk allows the nest to expand to accommodate the growing brood.

Hummingbirds are known for being able to hover and fly backwards. They are amongst the smallest birds and depend on flower nectar to support their high metabolism. Other than during courtship, which lasts a few minutes, the red-throated hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) is a solo animal and aggressive in defending its territory against other hummingbirds.

Answer: European bee-eater

Soil composition and protection from predators are important factors in determining sites of European bee-eater (Merops apiaster) breeding colonies. Typically excavated into vertical river banks, the breeding couple will form a tunnel around a metre long and with a nesting chamber at the end.

They each share nesting duties but may also have other adults help in feeding the brood. These helpers may be sons of the breeding pair or brothers of the breeding male without their own brood.

As their name suggests, they eat bees although they eat other insects such as wasps, hornets and dragonflies. They dislodge the sting by wiping the abdomen of the bee on their perch.

Answer: Horned coot

The horned coot (Fulica cornuta) lives on high-altitude Andean lakes. For its nest, an island is first created from pebbles in shallow water and can be as much as 40 metres from shore. The island is topped by aquatic vegetation. An estimated 1.5 tonnes of pebbles can be involved. Apart from reducing predation, the nests are safer than floating nests would be in the weather conditions found on these lakes.

Answer: Welcome swallow

Often nesting on man-made structures, the welcome swallow (Hirundo neoxena) builds on a ledge or on a vertical surface out of direct sunlight and with cover from the weather. Mud nesters need relatively high humidity areas for their nests.

The welcome swallow is native to Australia and self-introduced into New Zealand during the second half of the 20th century. Land clearance and house building in New Zealand has suited the bird. It is not seen in dense forest or alpine areas.

The various swallow species are split between using existing nests, burrowing into sand banks and creating mud nests.