BETA
Chapter 1
From dinosaurs to the dawn of flight
Chapter 2
The physics and poetry of flight
Chapter 3
Global navigation without a map
Chapter 4
Feathered geniuses and their languages
Chapter 5
The world's most creative homebuilders
YOUR GOAL
Master of The extraordinary lives of our feathered neighbors
Ch 5 · The world's most creative homebuilders
007skaty Build intricate nests to discover how avian architects engineer their creative homes.
007skaty Pairs bury massive eggs in geothermal pits for three months, producing fully feathered chicks that fly immediately upon
007skaty A male bowerbird arranges blue plastic and colorful berries outside its twig bower.
Fun Fact
Obsessive builders: Satin bowerbirds will steal blue plastic straws, bottle caps, and pens to decorate their nests.
Glossary
pigeon tower (noun)
A tall, freestanding structure built to house pigeons and collect their droppings. In 1960, Oscar Niemeyer designed a concrete pigeon tower in Brasília called O Pombal.
A tall, freestanding structure built to house pigeons and collect their droppings. In 1960, Oscar Niemeyer designed a concrete pigeon tower in Brasília called O Pombal.
Quiz
How long can a single communal sociable weaver nest remain occupied by successive generations?
Quiz
What is unique about maleo chicks when they first hatch from their underground volcanic nests?
Quiz
What color do satin bowerbirds famously prefer when decorating their courtship bowers?
Quiz
What elaborate structures do male bowerbirds build and decorate to attract female mates?
Quiz
What unusual material do cave-dwelling swiftlets use to build their nests, which humans harvest for soup?
Quiz
Which bird species builds massive communal nests in southern Africa that can weigh up to 1,000 kilograms?
Quiz
Why do sociable weaver nests have excellent temperature regulation in extreme desert climates?