1 Feathery Homes

Did you know that there is a kind of bird that can sew? This bird, called the tailor-bird, uses its beak as a needle. It sews leaves together in the shape of a cup. Then it lines the cup with straw and lays its eggs there.

Each species builds its own special kind of nest. The most common materials used for nests are grasses, twigs, and feathers. A bird must weave these materials into a nest. Imagine building a house without cement or nails to hold it together!

A weaverbird builds a nest that looks like a basket. The nest is shaped like a pear with a hole in the middle. The hole is the door of the nest.

The ovenbird makes a nest that is very solid. The nest is made of mud. Like a sculptor, the ovenbird molds the mud into the shape of an oven and then lets it dry in the sun. The sun bakes the mud, making it very hard.

Not all birds make their homes in branches. Some birds build their nests on the ground, while others bury their eggs under the ground. And some birds do not build nests at all. For example, a bird called the fairy tern lays its eggs right on a branch. It tiptoes on the branch and balances its eggs very carefully so they won’t fall. So, when you look for nests and eggs in the branches of trees and bushes, remember that some nests may be right under your feet!

1 羽毛之家 你知道有一种鸟会缝纫吗？这种鸟被称为缝叶莺，它把喙当作针。它把树叶缝在一起，做成杯状。然后它用稻草把这个杯状结构垫起来，在那里产卵。

每个物种都会建造自己特有的巢穴。筑巢最常用的材料是草、细枝和羽毛。鸟必须把这些材料编织成巢穴。想象一下，在没有水泥或钉子来固定的情况下建造一所房子！

织巢鸟建造的巢穴看起来像一个篮子。这个巢穴形状像梨，中间有一个洞。这个洞就是巢穴的门。

灶鸟建造的巢穴非常坚固。巢穴是用泥做的。就像雕塑家一样，灶鸟把泥塑成烤箱的形状，然后让它在太阳下晒干。太阳把泥烤硬，使它变得非常坚硬。

并非所有的鸟都在树枝上筑巢。有些鸟在地上筑巢，而另一些则把蛋埋在地下。还有一些鸟根本不筑巢。例如，一种叫做白玄鸥的鸟直接在树枝上产卵。它小心翼翼地在树枝上踮着脚，让蛋保持平衡，这样蛋就不会掉下来。所以，当你在树枝和灌木丛中寻找鸟巢和鸟蛋时，要记住，有些鸟巢可能就在你的脚下！