The Nest Series

These neotropical migrants breed in the shrub lands, disturbed forests, and abandoned farmlands of eastern North America. Females lay a foundation of leaves and weave a loose inner cup of vines, strips of bark, or other plant materials. Densely replanted reforestation, fire suppression, the loss of farmlands are all factors contributing to their 'Threatened' status.

Egret feathers camouflage this grassy dome-shaped nest built by a female Social Flycatcher. Recent immigrants to the Rio Grande Valley, their range extends to Paraguay. They attach their nests to bushes, trees, vines, and dead branches, and often over water on tree snags and pilings. They also adopt abandoned houses, bridges, signposts, utility poles, and even railroad trestles.

Relatives of blackbirds and meadowlarks, Altamira Orioles can be found from the Rio Grande to Nicaragua, living in year-round territories as life-long pairs. It can take the female a month to weave a pendulous nest, which is entered from the top, with a nesting chamber at the bottom. In Texas, Altamira Orioles are considered a threatened species due to the loss of the native trees.

Tailorbird nests, constructed on tea leaves, from Sri Lanka.

These tiny seedeaters survive -80°F Arctic temperatures by doubling their weight in down in winter, and living off of plants not buried under the snow. Using a pouch in their esophagus, they can store seeds to be regurgitated and eaten under shelter. They also build well-insulated nests lined with willow cotton, caribou hair, vole fur, feathers, fine grass, and in this case, even sheep’s wool.

The grackles need suitable cover in trees or other foliage for nesting, and water for drinking, bathing, and finding aquatic prey. Females fasten their cup-shaped nests to vertical twigs, weaving the outer cup with coarse grasses, weeds, bark strips, reeds, leaves, vines, feathers, paper, ribbon, fabric, or plastic. They cement the inner cup with mud or cow dung and line it with finer grasses.

The Brown Booby builds a nest in a scrape on the ground. The nest materials will often include the bones and bodies of other birds, including Sooty Tern chicks.