Twitter User Reviews Different Bird Nesting Styles With Hilarious Commentary

Little by little, a bird makes it’s nest.

Nests are very important for birds. They are not just the site for their rest in fact, the embryos must develop outside the bird’s body, while exposed to the constantly changing conditions of the environment. A nest’s purpose is not only to provide the appropriate conditions for egg development but it must in some cases also provide concealment and protection for eggs and later chicks.

Different birds create nests in different shapes and sizes. “Some birds (e.g., robins) build cup-shaped nests of sticks, lined with soft grass, in branches of trees,” Dawn Hewitt, the editor for Bird Watcher’s Digest, says. “Some birds (plovers) scrape a shallow depression in the sand or soil, and that’s all there is to their nest. Some birds (orioles) weave tight, pendulous nests from plant fibers, nests that sway in the breeze as they dangle from branches—often from two adjacent trees!”

Birds create their nests wherever they like – in trees, in burrows, on the ground, on cliff-sides, in and on man-made structures etc. They probably look for places with the perfect amount of sunlight as well as shade, where they can find proper nourishment nearby for themselves and their babies and even protect them in the harsh cold weather. “Nests aren’t bedrooms, but nurseries,” Hewitt highlighted.” Nests are where eggs are laid and incubated. And that’s all that birds have in common when it comes to nesting.”

So, the most bizarre thing happened on Twitter recently. Ferris Jabr, a science writer, posted pictures of different birds and their nesting styles. But that’s not all, he educated the internet about bird nesting styles in the most humorous way one could think of. No wonder it went viral.

Below are 19 of the bird nests he analysed and commented upon. Let’s start, shall we?

1. Creative and unique.

Hummingbird

2. Cuteness overloaded.

Kittiwake

3. I just can’t get past the name.

Red Ovenbird

4. Do NOT make fun of them.

Penguins

5. “Do NOT look at my babies!”

Emu

6. When you don’t have time to find sticks so you use stones instead.

Killdeer

7. Is that a nest for one bird or the whole family?

Hammerkop

8. The funniest and most innovative nest so far.

Coot

9. Hi there!

Toucan

It only gets harder when the eggs finally hatch — the increased activity in the nest and begging cries of the little chicks attract predators. “Predators are the biggest problem for young birds,” Hewitt said. “Hatchlings can’t fly, so they’re easy targets, especially when the parents are temporarily inattentive (off bringing food, or removing fecal sacs).”

Hewitt added that most (but not all) young birds spend some time on the ground before they can fly (or fly well), and that makes them especially easy targets. The first year is the always toughest; in almost all bird species, more than half of the baby birds perish during the first year.

“But freezing temperatures, such as we’ve had for the past few days where I live in southeastern Ohio, can be a huge problem for nesting birds. Almost all songbirds feed their young insects, and when it’s unusually frigid during nesting season, flying insects go dormant, and are hard to find. Nestlings can freeze or starve in cold weather.”

Jabr’s commentary style is unique yet informative. After this, we’re all hoping that he will continue to amuse us in this way with other animals. And maybe even humans.