Birds build camouflaged nests

Bailey, Ida E.; Muth, Felicity; Morgan, Kate; Meddle, Simone; Healy, Susan D.

doi:10.1642/auk-14-77.1

Cited by 47 publications

(41 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…Turning to homes built by animals, Bailey et al . () provide evidence that birds may actively select materials that camouflage their nests. They demonstrate that captive zebra finches ( Taeniopygia guttata ) preferentially select nesting material that is similar in colour to the provided nest cup and surrounding cage walls.…”

Section: Decoration and Background Modificationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Almost by definition, traps such as spider's webs must be constructed in such a way as to be difficult for prey to detect in order to be effective, and there is evidence that certain specific features of webs can be linked to reduced avoidance by prey [see Théry & Casas, 2009 for a review]. Turning to homes built by animals, Bailey et al (2014) provide evidence that birds may actively select materials that camouflage their nests. They demonstrate that captive zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) preferentially select nesting material that is similar in colour to the provided nest cup and surrounding cage walls.…”

Section: (3) Hiding Built Structuresmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The key role of behaviour in animal camouflage

2018

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Animal camouflage represents one of the most important ways of preventing (or facilitating) predation. It attracted the attention of the earliest evolutionary biologists, and today remains a focus of investigation in areas ranging from evolutionary ecology, animal decision-making, optimal strategies, visual psychology, computer science, to materials science. Most work focuses on the role of animal morphology per se, and its interactions with the background in affecting detection and recognition. However, the behaviour of organisms is likely to be crucial in affecting camouflage too, through background choice, body orientation and positioning; and strategies of camouflage that require movement. A wealth of potential mechanisms may affect such behaviours, from imprinting and self-assessment to genetics, and operate at several levels (species, morph, and individual). Over many years there have been numerous studies investigating the role of behaviour in camouflage, but to date, no effort to synthesise these studies and ideas into a coherent framework. Here, we review key work on behaviour and camouflage, highlight the mechanisms involved and implications of behaviour, discuss the importance of this in a changing world, and offer suggestions for addressing the many important gaps in our understanding of this subject.

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Section: Decoration and Background Modificationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: (3) Hiding Built Structuresmentioning

confidence: 99%

The key role of behaviour in animal camouflage

2018

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“…Studies investigating the cognitive processes underlying nest construction suggest that captive Zebra Finches (Taeniopygia guttata) have an appreciation of physical characteristics of the materials they use in their nests (Bailey et al, 2014a(Bailey et al, , 2014b. Moreover, studies that deconstruct nests have shown that the characteristics of the various materials in different parts of the nest provide an indirect insight into the decisions made by birds during nets building.…”

Section: Robins Nest In Enclosed Areas or Within Open-fronted Nestboxmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nest Insulation in the European Robin (Erithacus Rubecula): Effects of Latitude and Construction Materials

Cerezo

Deeming

2016

Avian Biology Research

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The various roles that birds' nests play are widely discussed and there is increasing interest in developing a better understanding of how they achieve these roles. The insulatory properties of nests have been investigated in a variety of songbird species and in some instances have been shown to relate to temperature and latitudinal variations. However, data are not available for a wide range of species. Here, we study the variations of the insulatory properties of European Robin nests in conjunction with the morphology and composition of materials. As well as describing these nests for the first time, we test the hypothesis that there is a latitudinal effect on nest insulation. Robin nests have a cup structure that is quite distinct, and easily separated, from the nest base. Although the cup and nest base shared similar construction materials discriminant analysis showed that they can be distinguished on the basis of their differing proportions of leaves. Unlike other songbirds of comparable size that nest in nestboxes, European Robins appear to be able to use plant-derived materials rather than animal-derived materials to effectively insulate their nests.

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“…Whilst the nest itself is primarily where eggs are incubated (Deeming 2016) it is suggested that they have a range of other roles associated with reproduction, and perhaps even lifetime fitness (Moreno 2012;Mainwaring et al 2014a). Birds select materials during nest construction for a variety of reasons (Deeming and Mainwaring 2015), including sexual signalling (Dubiec et al 2013;Tomás et al 2013), defence from parasites or pathogens (Dubiec et al 2013), camouflage (Kull 1977;Bailey et al 2015), insulation (Hilton et al 2004;Dhandhukia and Patel 2012;Mainwaring et al 2014b) or for their structural role (Bailey et al 2014;Biddle et al 2015Biddle et al , 2017. Whether these materials are deliberately selected for specific roles has yet to be fully investigated, but it is known that variation in a particular type of material reflects its availability within the local environment (Moreno et al 2008;Surgey et al 2012;Álvarez et al 2013;Cantarero et al 2015;Briggs and Deeming 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Birds use structural properties when selecting materials for different parts of their nests

2018

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Bird nests can have various roles but all act as the location for incubation, so at least have to serve to hold and support the incubating bird and its clutch of eggs. Nest construction is species specific and the use of materials varies between different parts of the nest. At present we know very little about the role that these materials play in the structural characteristics of the nest. This study examined materials from deconstructed nests from four species of thrush (Turdidae) and two species of finch (Fringillidae) that all constructed nests made of woody stems. It was hypothesised that structural properties would vary within the different regions of a nest, with thicker and stronger materials being found in parts of the nest needing the most support. Secondly, it was predicted that structural properties would vary little between nests of members of the same family, but would be quite different between nests of different families. Nests were deconstructed to quantify the materials used in the cup lining, and the upper and lower parts of the outer nest. The 20 thickest pieces of material were selected from each nest part and for each piece, and their diameter and mass quantified. Each piece was then subjected to a three-point bending test using an Instron universal testing machine to determine its rigidity and bending strength. Placement of materials in the nest was non-random in all species. The materials used in the outer part of the nest were thicker, stronger and stiffer than those materials found in the cup lining. The extent to which these structural properties varied between families depended on where the material was taken from the nest. Both strength and rigidity strongly positively correlated with the diameter of the piece of material. We hypothesise that birds are not directly aware of the structural properties of the material per se but rather assess diameter and mass of the material when they pick it up by the bill. Using this information they decide on whether the piece is suitable for that appropriate stage of nest construction. Keywords

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Birds build camouflaged nests

Cited by 47 publications

References 26 publications

The key role of behaviour in animal camouflage

The key role of behaviour in animal camouflage

Nest Insulation in the European Robin (Erithacus Rubecula): Effects of Latitude and Construction Materials

Birds use structural properties when selecting materials for different parts of their nests

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