Can birds adapt their nest building for a warming world?

Our Changing World

To keep their eggs safe, some birds build simple cup-shaped nests. Others craft elaborate fully enclosed domes, with porches, fake entrances and ledges. But is this intricate construction of nests a set, encoded behaviour? Or can birds adapt in different conditions? Researchers are keen to learn about flexibility in nest design, to better understand how different species might be able to respond as the climate changes.

Guests:

• Dr Iliana Medina Guzman, University of Melbourne
• Kane Fleury, Tūhura Otago Museum

Learn more:

• See nest pictures and read the related article for this episode here.
• Iliana’s colleague Dr Claire Taylor spoke to Nine to Noon about some of this work in July, their work has been written up by the University of Melbourne, and their investigations of the role of climate and the analysis of variation in nest design have been published.
• Some birds use spikes as weapons around their nests, while in Wellington, some kākā might be trying to nest in unhelpful places.
• Explore the Our Changing World bird episodes back catalogue, for heaps more bird and nest stories.

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Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details