Table Of ContentNest Building and Bird Behavior
NICHOLAS Ε. COLLIAS AND ELSIE C. COLLIAS
Nest Building
and
Bird Behavior
PRINCETON UNIVERSITY PRESS I Princeton, N.].
Copyright © 1984 by Princeton University Press
Published by Princeton University Press,
41 William Street, Princeton, New Jersey 08540
In the United Kingdom:
Princeton University Press, Guildford, Surrey
All Rights Reserved
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
will be found on the last printed page of this book
ISBN 0-691-08358-4 (cloth)
ISBN 0-691-08359-2 (pbk.)
This book has been composed in Linotron Aldus
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Printed in the United States of America by
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To all the friends, colleagues, and assistants
who helped us in our research in field and aviary
on the fascinating weaverhirds
TENTS
List of Illustrations xi
List of Tables xv
Preface xvii
ONE INTRODUCTION 3
Plan of Treatment—Application of Scientific
Methods to the Study of Nest Building—Conceptual
Approach
TWO DIVERSITY OF NESTS AND MAJOR
EVOLUTIONARY TRENDS IN NEST BUILDING 8
A Classification of Bird Nests—Evolution of Nest
Building—Summary of More General Conclusions
THREE SPECIATION AND NEST BUILDING 41
Speciation and the Evolution of Nest Differences—
Implication of the Nest Site for Evolution—
Speciation and Evolution of Nest Building in the
Weaverbirds (Ploceinae)—Summary
FOUR MATE SELECTION AND NEST BUILDING 57
Selection of the Nest Site—Nest-building Behavior
in Courtship—Nest and Mate Selection in the
Village Weaver—Male and Female Roles in Nest
Building—Summary
FIVE BOWERBIRDS, BOWERS, AND NESTS 74
Relation between Bowers and Nests—Evolution of
Different Types of Bowers—Bower Decorations and
Bower Painting—Gilliard's Theory of Transferral
Effect in Evolution—Summary
six NEST-SITE SELECTION AND THE PHYSICAL
ENVIRONMENT 86
Adaptations to Cold in Choice of Nest Site—Nest
Sites in Hot and Dry Habitats—Nest-site Selection
vin — Contents
in Relation to Rain and Wind—Building a Suitable
Substrate for the Nest—Summary
SEVEN ADAPTATIONS OF NEST BUILDING TO THE
PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT 101
Nest-building Adaptations to Cold—Adaptations of
Nest Building and Nesting Behavior to Heat—Nest-
building Adaptations to Daily Changes in
Temperature—Adaptive Seasonal Variations in Nest
Building—Adaptations of Nest Building to Floods,
Wind, and Rain—Roofed Nests and Possible
Protection from Ultraviolet—Some Parallels between
Bird Nests and Primitive Human Houses—Summary
EIGHT NEST COMPETITORS AND PARASITES 122
Competition for Nest Sites—Competition for Nest
Holes and Nests—Avian Brood Parasites and
Competition for Nests—Arthropod Ectoparasites in
Nests—Summary
NINE PREDATORS AND NESTS 142
A Classification of Nest Defenses Against
Predators—Concealment of the Nest—Confusing or
Deceiving Predators—Nests in Inaccessible or
Relatively Safe Places—Nesting with or near
Formidable Species—Multiple Nesting Attempts—
Nests with Very Thick Strong Walls—Summary
TEN HOW BIRDS BUILD THEIR NESTS 164
Selection of Nest Materials—Fastening the Nest to
Difficult Substrates—What Holds a Nest Together—
Shaping the Nest: Building by Some Representative
Species—Amount of Work Required to Build a
Nest—Summary
ELEVEN THE ANALYSIS OF NEST BUILDING BY
WEAVERBIRDS 190
Description of Nest Building by the Village
Weaver—Experimental Analysis of the Stimulus
Situation at Each Stage of Nest Building—Nest
Destruction—Comparison of Weaving by Birds and
Humans—Summary
Contents — ix
TWELVE THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEST-BUILDING
ABILITY 211
Subjects—Development of Ability to Manipulate
Objects—Selection of Appropriate Nest Materials—
Preparation of Nest Materials—Development of
Weaving Ability—Nest Form and the Development
of Nest Building—Influence of the Example of Other
Birds—Effects of Prolonged Deprivation of Nest
Materials during Adult Life—Summary
THIRTEEN INTERNAL FACTORS IN THE CONTROL OF
NEST BUILDING 225
Background Information—Control of Sex
Differences in Nest Building—Integration of Nest
Building into the Breeding Cycle—Summary
FOURTEEN THE EVOLUTION OF GREGARIOUS NESTING 245
Helpers at the Nest and Communal Building—
Advantages of Building Nests near Each Other—
Some Competitive Aspects of Crowding Nests—
Contiguous Nests and Multichambered Nests—
Summary
Appendix One. Bird Families of the World and
Their Nest Types 275
Appendix Two. Where to Find Photographs of Bird
Nests 285
References 287
Author Index 319
Subject Index 327
