Bird Nests and Construction Behaviour

Title......Page 4
Copyright......Page 5
Dedication......Page 6
Contents......Page 8
Acknowledgements......Page 12
1.1 Introduction......Page 14
1.2 Builders extend their control......Page 15
1.3 The extended phenotype concept......Page 18
1.4 Building behaviour changes habitats......Page 21
1.6 Nests reinforce social life......Page 23
1.7 The builders......Page 25
a) Simple minded......Page 27
c) Techniques shape materials but materials shape techniques......Page 29
1.9 Chapter by chapter......Page 33
1.10 The taxonomic convention......Page 35
2.2 The nests and brood care of dinosaurs......Page 36
2.3 Why do birds lay eggs?......Page 40
2.4 Do chicks need nests?......Page 41
2.5 Clutch size......Page 44
2.6 The nest and clutch size......Page 48
3.1 The nest profile survey......Page 52
a) Identity of the nest......Page 54
b) Nest weight and dimensions......Page 55
d) Nest site......Page 57
e) Nest attachment......Page 58
3.3 The four nest zones......Page 62
3.4 The materials......Page 64
b) Animal materials......Page 65
c) Plant, lichen and fungal materials......Page 67
d) Others......Page 69
a) Building techniques......Page 70
c) Biological associations......Page 71
e) Sketches and photographs......Page 72
4.1 Introduction......Page 73
4.2 Types of construction method......Page 75
4.3 Sculpting......Page 76
4.4 Moulding......Page 77
4.5 Piling up......Page 80
4.6 Sticking together......Page 83
a) Entangle......Page 84
b) Stitches and pop-rivets......Page 86
c) Velcro......Page 87
4.8 Weaving......Page 93
4.9 How difficult is nest building?......Page 97
4.10 Tool use and tool making......Page 102
5.1 Introduction......Page 106
b) Frequency and type of decorative materials......Page 108
c) Snake skin......Page 114
d) Heads and tails......Page 116
a) Number and type of materials in attachments......Page 119
c) Occurrence of attachment types......Page 120
5.4 The structural nest layer......Page 125
a) Nest weight and nest design in relation to weight......Page 126
b) Number of materials in the structural layer......Page 127
d) Standard units......Page 128
e) Silk......Page 129
f) Grass......Page 131
g) Sticks......Page 133
h) Design and convergence......Page 135
5.5 The nest lining......Page 136
a) The presence, number and type of lining materials......Page 138
b) The function of linings......Page 139
6.1 Introduction......Page 142
6.2 Calculation of energetic costs......Page 144
6.3 Gathering journeys and building time......Page 145
6.4 Measurement of building costs as clutch reduction......Page 147
6.5 Other evidence of nest building cost......Page 148
6.6 Taking over the nest of another bird......Page 151
6.7 The consequences of nest re-use......Page 154
6.8 Indicators of the cost of nest re-use......Page 155
6.9 The response of nest re-users to blood-feeding ectoparasites......Page 158
7.1 Introduction......Page 165
7.2 The availability of nest material......Page 166
7.3 The influence of physical factors......Page 169
7.4 The influence of predators......Page 171
7.5 Predation rates......Page 178
7.6 Coloniality and nest defence......Page 180
7.7 Sites exploiting the nest defence of other birds......Page 182
7.8 Nest sites associated with arthropods......Page 185
a) Caterpillars and spiders......Page 186
b) Social insects......Page 188
7.9 Birds and termites......Page 189
7.10 Birds and ants......Page 190
7.12 Birds and wasps......Page 194
8.1 Introduction......Page 199
8.2 Sexual selection......Page 200
8.3 Nest building and sexual selection......Page 202
8.4 Court displays and male quality......Page 204
b) The maypole builders......Page 208
c) The avenue builders......Page 212
d) Functional design and bower evolution......Page 218
8.6 Bowers and sexual selection theory......Page 223
8.7 Beautiful bowers?......Page 225
9.1 Introduction......Page 230
9.2 Innovations of design and of technology......Page 235
9.3 Taxonomic characters from nests......Page 237
9.4 Variability and conservatism......Page 239
9.5 Weaver birds and the ecology of nest evolution......Page 242
9.6 The Tyrannidae and the flexibility of building behaviour......Page 244
References......Page 250
Author index......Page 278
General index......Page 282
Species index......Page 286