The National tribune., 1901-08-29
FEATHERED ARCHITECTS.
Curious Structures Made by Some of the
Well-known Birds.


Well-known Birds.
The osprey, or fish-hawk. builds n nest
less remarkable for skill in architecture
than for enormous bulk. 1t is occupied
year after year, and rs it is repaired or
has additions made annually, it finally
reaches such size that it would make Il
good load for horse. Nests have been
recorded which were nearly eight feet in
diamater and equally deep.
1t is usually placed on the top of n
tree. The foundation is of sticks, often
two or three feet long and an inch in
diamater. Ga these are piled corn stalks,
grass, straw, pieces Of turf, sea weed and
the like. In some localities the purple
gracklc builds its nest in the creviccs of
the oSprey's nest and these strangely as
sorted ncighbors live in perfect harmony.
The bald eagles build nest much like
the osprey : III 4 tall tree, preferably a
dead one. They ale among the earnest
of all land birds to begin nesting. beng
wholly regardless of Spring froSts. IL
seems certain that bald eagles when once
mated remain constant to each other unit.
one or the other dies, and they occupy
the same nest with yearly additions and
repairs for many years, 50 that 1t finally
attains very large dimensions.
1t seems most unnatural that n bird, Il
creature apparently made especially for
air and sunshine, should ever nest in bur
rows, but the petrC!S. the bank swallow,
the kinglShcr and the burrowing owl are
familiar examples of birds that rear their
young under ground. either i'll the abun-
dOned holes OF hUrrOwin@ mammals or iii
those which they cNcivatc for them
selves. The Western burrowing owl is
particularly fond of the prairie dog cX-
cayatipHS and lays its eggs therein, often
eight lcCt or more from the entrance.
Tie bank swallows nest in large col
orieS in holes from one to three feet deer
dug by themselves in perpendicular bank,
along streams or shores. With us they
select sol! which can bc easily eEcayated
and the most friablc soil would seem diff
licuIt enough for those tiny bills To pcue
tratc, but in England they are said tc
bore into strata 50 hard as to blunt the
edge OF 4 knife.
The hcitcd kingisher. n much larger
bird than the bank swallow. is much
more ambitious tunnel builder, its mole
ranging from four to II feet in depth
usually about six or eight feet. Some
0ruithulcgiStS say that it makes no nest
and even DR.. Brewer says: The eggs
are usually laid on the bare sand, there
being very rarely, if ever, any attempt
to construct a nest" OF the nests he ha.
discovered the present writer thoroughly
investigated only two, but in both those
cases the eggs were laid i'll nest Of fisl
bones. The kingfisher lives exclusively OIL
| small fish. and 1t has the power Of eject
ing the bones, just as owls eject the fun
OF feathers aud bones Of their prey.
lLECCpting these borrowers and the
woodpeckcr family and some few others
most of our native birds are careless OF
coverings for their nests, bat the oven
bird builds a roof over the home of it
Il
and the nest is frequently sunk slightly
below the surface. The best specimen,
present the appearance OF two nests jUHcC
together by their rims, with a small OI On
ing in til" side. Sometimes when shell
tered 10y stones or bushes the covering
consists merely of a few loose leaves.
These birds are among our cOmmDncst
species, every bit OF woodland having al
least 4 pair, hut one need not expect tC
find one of their nests every time he takes
a walk III the woods. The roof serves as
Il protection not only from the weather
but from prying eyes as well.
In artful conccalment of its nest the
oven bird is far surpassed By the bobolink
| In the first place. the lattCr's choice Of q
nesting site is feIicitOus What could be
better than Il broad meadow where, Sc
far ut least as human eye can see, every
square yard Of grass is like hundred
others? The materials Of the nest are
Vi the color of its surroundings and the
young are Of the same tint
You may see the parent bird drop dOwT
into the grass with food and then, glucin2
your eyes TO the spot, advance and hum
/ ill sHndpwn. only to retire Daliled. Ever
! John Burroughs, speaking Of an expert
encc met with by himself and Il friend
| said: I'VE grew desperate, and fairly
| felt the ground over with our hands, but
| without avail" The next day Mr.. Bur
.1.,., ia M q
although he thought he examined every
| inch OF ground. After he had given III
! in despair and retreatcd, papa boholinE
appeared with food and dropped into the
| grass which had been so carefully eX
| plored and finally third trial revealed
! the nest. Probably no bird is more sue
ccssful in rearing its young.
! The rcdstart. that darting fame which
/ the Cuhars call "candelita," the LITTLE
! torch. builds beautiful, compact, cup
shared structure ordinarily about 10 fee
/ from the ground, in the fork of Il sinai
tree 1t is made of strips Of bark, grasses
| down and caterpillar silk, with lining
Of fine rootiets or horse hairs; Inc yei
| low warblcr's nest is not unlike the red
starts in form and situation, though 1
! oftCucr chooses orchard or lawn.
The walls are composed of grasses OF
| plant fibcrs compactly fcltcd together WITT
plant-down into homogeneous Shoic
/ 4 lining Of down or feathers complete:
the dainty home, which the parasitic COW
bird frequently chooses as the receptacle
| for her stcaithily dropped egg. Unlike
most other birds. the yellow warbler doe.
not submit tamcly to this shameless i'm
| position, but covers the intruding egg viii
| nest material, even if she has to sacrihc'
| an egg or two of her own IN so dong
| Then raising the walls, she forms a new
nest over the old one, in which she pro
cecds to rear her young. Should COW
birds egg be dropped in the new mes
| the same process is repeated.