Homes for baby birds
Nests are the homes that birds make for their babies. The mother birds
lay their eggs in the nests. After the baby birds hatch, they are cared
for in the nests until they grow up. Then all the birds leave the nests.
Different kinds of birds build different kinds of nests. Many birds make
nests in trees. Robins make bowlshaped nests in trees. They use anything
they can find, such as grass, twigs, leaves, and string. They line the
inside of their nests with mud. Then they cover the mud with grass.
Ovenbird Nest
The ovenbird’s dome-shaped nest has two rooms.
Weaverbird Nest
A weaverbird uses its bill to weave a hanging nest of grass and
sticks.
Oriole Nest
An oriole builds a nest that looks like a pouch hanging from a tree
limb.
Some water birds make nests that float on water. They fasten their nests
to plants that grow in the lakes and ponds. Ducks make piles of grass on
the ground. They line their nests with feathers.
Ovenbirds make dome-shaped nests that look somewhat like old-fashioned
ovens. The ovenbird got its name from the kind of nest it builds.
Some birds don’t build their own nests. Some of them just lay their eggs
in hollow places in tree trunks. Others, such as cowbirds and European
cuckoos, lay their eggs in the nests of other birds.
