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The Best Nest

March 12, 2021
There are many ways to woo a mate!
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A male Southern Masked Weaver hanging upside down from the hanging nest he is weaving from grass. Expand Image
© Bernard Dupont / FCC

Some birds woo a mate by building the best nest. Males of many weaverbird species construct a series of intricately woven nests to impress a prospective partner. A male Red-winged Blackbird can even attract multiple mates if he controls prime breeding territory. Adélie Penguins construct their nests on mounds of stones, and partners often exchange stone gifts during the course of construction.
 

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BirdNote ®

The Best Nest

Written by Wenfei Tong

This is BirdNote.

For some birds, having the best nest is a key part of attracting a mate. Males of many weaverbird species construct a series of intricately woven nests with which to lure a prospective partner. If a female is dissatisfied with it, though, she doesn’t just move on — she tears the nest apart, as if to show her disdain.

[https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/279961#_ga=2.266010703.1581495236.160… :04-:09]

A male Red-winged Blackbird can even attract multiple mates if he controls prime breeding territory where nests can be built over the water, making them less accessible to predators like racoons. 

[https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/211268521#_ga=2.265349199.1581495236… :07-:13]

Adélie (pron. uh-DAY-lee) Penguins construct their nests on mounds of stones, which help guard against flooding, and partners often exchange stone gifts during the course of construction. Unfortunately, stones can be in short supply, which leads to skirmishes within the nesting colony, as stones are stolen and fiercely guarded. No stone, one might say, left unturned.

[https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/51695#_ga=2.105982019.1581495236.1608… :08-:14]

For BirdNote, I’m Wenfei Tong.
                                                             ###
Senior Producer: John Kessler
Production Manager: Allison Wilson
Producer: Mark Bramhill
Associate Producer: Ellen Blackstone
Bird sounds provided by The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Southern Masked Weaver ML279961 P Boesman, Red-winged Blackbird  ML191788 B Mcguire, Adelie Penguin ML51695 P Coopmans
BirdNote’s theme was composed and played by Nancy Rumbel and John Kessler.
© 2021 BirdNote   March 2021    Narrator: Wenfei Tong

ID#   nest-11-2021-03-12        nest-11
 

Wenfei Tong
Writer
Wenfei Tong
Narrator
Tags: nesting, Penguin

Related Resources

Red-winged Blackbird – More at American Bird ConservancyLearn more about Adélie Penguins at the Australian Antarctic ProgramVideo: Watch a weaverbird in Uganda as it builds a nest! Video: Watch a Southern Masked Weaver building nest

More About These Birds

Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)

Agelaius phoeniceus

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Birds connect us with the joy and wonder of nature. By telling vivid, sound-rich stories about birds and the challenges they face, BirdNote inspires listeners to care about the natural world – and take steps to protect it.

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