sciencecenter: Bird nests are an untapped scientific resource So says Lloyd Kiff, former director of
sciencecenter:Bird nests are an untapped scientific resourceSo says Lloyd Kiff, former director of the Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology, which boasts 18,000 specimens (think he might be a bit biased?). He’s probably onto something: nests may be the natural equivalent of archaeological sites, containing a collection of the flora and fauna that were the bird’s contemporaries. Nests and the supplies that go into making them can be used to determine ancestry in closely related birds, reveal food habits, and even narrate the movements of ice-sheets via carbon dating of feathers. Research on extant birds and their nests shows that the nests play a more prominent role in communication and competition than thought. Above, a Spotted Nightingale Thrust nest found in 1968 in Mexico; it was constructed with moss, lichen, and leaves. Click through for a gallery of more specimens. -- source link
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