These Bird Nests Show Signs of an Architectural ‘Culture’

image via New Scientist

November 5, 2024, 11:45 AM

• •Scientists analyzed more than 400 structures built by 43 different groups of White-browed Sparrow-Weavers in the Kalahari Desert in southern Africa.
• •The scientists found that different gatherings of birds, even those living only a few meters from one another, built very different tube structures.
• •The researchers proposed that cultural transmission might be key to nest building.

Scientists have discovered that different groups of birds build very different nests, even when they live in close proximity to each other. The researchers believe that this is due to cultural transmission, where birds learn how to build nests from watching other birds. This is the first study to show that culture plays a role in avian architecture.

Read original article