Like all living creatures, birds also need an abode to sleep peacefully after a long and stressful day of work. Since birds do not have the luxury of house making laborers and architects they need to make their own nest and hence all the birds make their nests themselves. Different kinds of birds make their nests as per their own needs and the environment in which they live. A mynah’s nest is altogether different from a Humming bird’s nest.
Birds also make nest for laying their eggs safely and bringing their babies to the world in a safe place where they can be kept away from the roving eyes of dogs, cats and other flesh eating animals.
Most birds build their nests every year but some birds use the same old nest years after years. I remember, when we were kids, in our lawn a red vented bird had made her nest. The bird would not let anyone come near the nest except my father. Any person going near the nest except my father was rewarded with a strong pat on head through the small but strong beak of the bird couple. The birds used to lay eggs in the nest and raise the babies till they were big enough to fly and find their food and then they used to fly away. The empty nest used to perch on the same plant till the next year the same pair used to come and start spreading the terror.
Some birds do not build the nest but lay eggs in some other bird’s nest. Such birds are called brood parasites. Classic example of brood parasites is cuckoo bird which lays eggs in crow’s nest. Though generally nests are used for breeding but in some cases they are also used for roosting.
