Niche Nests

A look at a few different birds’ techniques

Look at that tiny, industrious hummingbird in your hed gif, putting together the perfect nest. She uses soft plant fibers for the interior padding and spider silk to weave the structure together, working the mass into a cupped shape using her feet. And then for the finishing touches, she adds a few lichen, seeds and moss to decorate and protect the outside. The entire endeavor was captured by Nature on PBS.

Perhaps less delicate, but equally enchanting, researchers at the Natural History Museum Rotterdam have documented corvid nests being made from the very objects meant to deter birds. In what might be considered avian poetic justice, nests have been found consisting of anti-bird spikes.

A magpie nest using about 1500 metal spikes - photo by Dutch biologist Auke-Florian Hiemstra

Not only are these nests a big thumb-to-the-nose (or beak, as the case may be) to the humans trying to dissuade them, but in some cases birds may be employing the spikes as per their original intention; to keep other birds away from the structure. Biologist Auke-Florian Hiemstra posits that magpies, known for creating barriers to protect their nests and keep other birds away, may have selected anti-bird spikes to surround their nests precisely because they are effective at keeping other birds at bay.

In other instances, the spikes were likely viewed as practical and desirable nesting material, such as in this crow’s nest made from spikes removed from a building.

It’s clear from inspection that the crow or crows that built this particular next went out of their way to pull the spikes off of the structure on which they were installed. The adhesive on the webbing was still tacky, indicating that the birds needed to apply some effort to remove the strips. Sure, removal is more work than simply picking up discarded or worn-out materials, but look how badass that nest came out. Bravo, crow!

Pictures and more information about this Dutch study, published in 2023 in the journal Deinsea, can be found in the links below.

Deinsea: "Bird nests made from anti-bird spikes" by Auke-Florian Hiemstra, Cornelis W. Moeliker, Barbara Gravendeel and Mennoo Schilthuizen, 7/11/23

Audubon: "Apparently Magpies and Crows Are Using 'Anti-Bird Spikes' to Make Their Nests" by Lauren Leffer, 7/13/23

Vox: "Birds have co-opted our anti-bird weapons in a genius counterattack" by Sigal Samuel, 7/26/23