Benefits of the Old Bird Nests for Birds

Abstract

Birds build their nests for egg laying, incubation, and chick rearing. Some species build new nests while others repair the old ones for reuse. Old nests are beneficial to birds, which can be summarized in five ways. Firstly, birds can save their time and energy for nest building. Secondly, birds get nests with insect predators that can eliminate bird ectoparasites. Thirdly, birds can incubate in the thermal insulation nests. Fourthly, birds use the old bird nests as informative cues to indicate a suitable nest site. Lastly, birds use the old bird nests to protect their fledgling from predators. Each bird species receives different benefits from the old nests, depending on their genetics and environments. Therefore, if there are no hygienic problems in the area, the idea of keeping old bird nests can help conserve rare birds.