LESSON XXXII.
NEST BUILDING.
ON THE TREE TOP.
ON THE TREE TOP.
I think nothing about birds is more interesting than their way of building their nests. In this lesson we will look at a few curious nest-builders.
First, let me tell you that that largest of birds, the ostrich, builds no nest. She puts her eggs in the sand. The sun-heat is all they need during the day, and the father-bird cares for them at night. A few birds lay their eggs in heaps of dead leaves, and let the leaves keep them warm.
The cuckoo,[26]and the cow-bird[27]lay their eggs in the nest of some other bird. They choose a bird smaller than themselves, and put one egg in its nest. Then they go to another nest, and so on, until their eggs are laid.
A few birds lay their eggs right on the earth, or sand, and make no nest at all. But they sit on the eggs, and brood them. Most birds make nice, careful nests. They seem to take pride in building good homes.
A lady who has carefully studied the ways of birds, says that all birds of a kind do not build equally good nests. For instance, some robins build very strong, neat nests. Others build loose, untidy nests, which will hardly hold the eggs.
This same lady says that birds, by practice, improve in nest building. As a rule, she thinks the old birds, that have built for several years, make better nests than robins building for their first brood. She says she watched a robin, which had a home in her garden. That robin improved in nest building, and built better and better each year.
Perhaps no bird builds a more firm, neat, and elegant nest, than that smallest of all,—the humming-bird. This bird does not need a large nest, she is so tiny, and her eggs, usually only two, are like small beans. The nest is made in the shape of a cup. It is built of soft moss, or the downy seeds of plants. These are pressed and moulded until they are almost like felt.
The nest is made quite thick. All over the outside, the bird fastens bits of moss, or lichens. These are stuck on with a kind of glue, from the bird’s mouth. This is done, not so much for beauty, as to conceal the nest. When thus pasted over with moss, it looks like a knot or bit of tree branch.
This tiny bird is very shy, and wishes to hide its nest. It is so cunningly built, that even when close by it you are little likely to see it.
The bird does not fly straight to, or from, this nest. That might lead enemies there. Instead, it rises high, straight up into the air, and when up out of sight, takes its direction as it chooses. When it comes back, it pursues a similar plan. From far up in the air, above the nest, it drops straight down, like a little fiery star, into its home.
The goldfinch is another bird which glues mosses on the outside of its nest to hide it. While this isdone rather for use than beauty, I think most birds like to have a pretty home. I have seen birds weave bits of colored wool, or silk, in and out the nest, plainly for the sake of the color, and not for strength.
All the finch family line their nest with down or feathers. The wood-wren, on the contrary, lines its nest always with hair, and never with feathers. She goes far and wide to find soft hairs for this use.
I think an oriole’s nest is one of the most beautiful of bird-homes. The mother-oriole makes the nest, and her mate brings her wool, fine root-fibres, hairs and threads, which she uses. If he brings her a bit which she does not like, she throws it away, and seems to think him a bird of very little sense.
If Mrs. Oriole is not suited with her work, as it goes on, she tears it down, and goes to work again. She wants it just right.
The nest is in the shape of a long pocket, and is sewed firmly to some twigs on the end of a branch. It is very curious to see the stitches which are taken in and out, with string, or long horse-hairs. The nest is tied firmly to the tree, and is woven very firmly together. It is lined with downy seeds. The entrance is small and near the top, and thenest is larger at the bottom, where the young birds will lie.
The tailor-bird sews even better than the oriole. She takes a large leaf, bends the edges against those of a leaf near, and carefully sews them together, with bits of fibre for thread, while her bill is the needle. When this leaf-purse is made, the cunning little mother fills it half full of cotton-like down, from plants, and her home is made. Sometimes she chooses a large leaf, and sews its edges together.
The object of these nests is to have them hung far out, where snakes cannot get at the eggs or young. For you must know that snakes are cruel enemies of birds.
The house-sparrow likes to build her nest under overhanging eaves. If she builds where she has not a roof of that kind, she makes a roof for herself, of straw.
Many birds, as the woodpecker, titmouse, and others, find a hole in a tree, and put in a soft lining. This makes a very nice, safe home.
The golden-crested wren makes a most lovely nest of mosses, woven firmly together with spiders’ webs and cobwebs. It is very delicate and pretty.
Just the opposite of this is a magpie’s nest. That isa large platform of coarse twigs, and over it a roof, quite as large, of twigs, while all around it the magpie sets up a thorn fence. You would hardly think a bird could build such a house.
Once I found the nest of the song thrush. It was large, and made of grass, straw, and such things, all firmly plastered with mud. It was nearly as smooth inside as a china bowl. I wondered that this little bird could build such a large, heavy nest.
Many birds which live near the water build their nests among the tall reeds. They will bind three or four reeds together, with the nest hung between them.
No doubt you have often found the neat little round nest of the bluebirds, or yellow-birds, nicely woven of hairs, and made smooth and soft inside. Sometimes their soft, smooth nests are woven of fine, soft fibres. It is wonderful how fine and clean they are, after the little busy bird has made them ready for her home.
Many birds build in clefts of rocks, or under large overhanging stones by the water-side. Their chief thought seems to be, to have the nest safely hidden. Other birds build right on the ground. Have you never found a lark’s nest, low among daisies, grass and buttercups?
Last summer I found two nests of the meadow pipit, or peewee. They were built of dry grass in a hollow, shaded by some bramble-berry bushes and big dandelions. I had one of these nests drawn for the cover of this Reader. It was a very pretty bower, and the little birds grew up safely.
Most birds build each one alone, but in Africa the weaver-bird lives in colonies. The nests are built like very large wasps’ nests. Sometimes one or two hundred birds will build in one place. They make a roof for the nest.
I began by telling you of very little nests. I will end by telling you of a very big nest. I saw the nest of a fishing eagle, in a great pine-tree. The nest was built of large sticks. It was nearly as large as a half barrel. The tree was dead. A tree always dies when an eagle builds in it. This nest was more like a great rough platform than a nest. It had a wall of sticks about it to keep the little eaglets from falling out before their feathers grew.
FOOTNOTES:[26]The cuckoo in England lays in the nests ofother birds. The American cuckoo does not.[27]The cow-bird is also called the cow-bunting.
[26]The cuckoo in England lays in the nests ofother birds. The American cuckoo does not.
[26]The cuckoo in England lays in the nests ofother birds. The American cuckoo does not.
[27]The cow-bird is also called the cow-bunting.
[27]The cow-bird is also called the cow-bunting.