Nature's Engineers Birds build nests to keep their eggs safe and warm and to give their young a place to live until they can take care of themselves. Nests are built out of a variety of materials, including sticks, grass, string, paper, and pine needles. Certain birds camouflage and protect the nest by covering it with a dome or roof. Building a nest can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks depending on its complexity.
Ants are social insects.
They live in colonies, some numbering more than a million ants. With numbers like that, ants need a structure which combines an apartment building, a grocery store, and a daycare. To meet their structural needs, some ants build huge hills out of sticks and dirt. These mounds often extend underground to vast tunnels and galleries. Inside the hill, ants bring food to their queen.