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Photographs and Text by Vanya Rohwer
Dr. Rohwer is the curator of birds and mammals at the Cornell University Museum of Vertebrates.
Most birds go to great lengths to hide their nests. So when I find one, invariably so carefully crafted and astonishingly intricate, I’m filled with awe. They are marvels of the natural world.
The weave of twigs, grass, leaves and other natural materials is specific to each species. Most birds use nests only to raise their young. For small birds, this could be less than one month out of the year. For that reason, I generally don’t consider them homes. But the analogy is apt, if only to convey the uniqueness of their architecture. Of a house, you might say: That’s a craftsman or a Cape Cod or a colonial. The same sort of design distinction can be seen in a nest. That’s a robin’s nest or a warbler’s or a red-tailed hawk’s.
