The process of building houses for many animals has produced talented “architects” that humans cannot imagine.
Below are portraits and works of these “architects”:
Baya sparrows often build nests hanging from thorny tree branches or hanging over water, making it difficult for predators to reach them. These nests are built quite meticulously and have a beautiful and elegant appearance.
Sparrows of the Ploceidae family – living in South Africa, Namibia and Botswana, build very large “collective” nests that can hold hundreds of birds over many generations. The bird’s nest is woven from sticks and grass, has a very long lifespan, and is divided into many “rooms”, in which the “rooms” located deeper inside have higher temperatures at night, helping the bird keep warm.
Australian green ants, which live in Central Africa and Southeast Asia, build nests by pulling green leaves together and then using larval silk to “glue” them tightly. These nests vary in size, from nests made from a single leaf to a bunch of leaves up to half a meter long.
Vogelkop bird – lives in the mountains of the Vogelkop peninsula, Western New Guinea, Indonesia. Male Vogelkop birds build “houses” from grass, small branches… to attract females. Their “house” has the most perfect interior design in the animal world, containing eye-catching fruits, flowers, beetles and colorful decorations artfully arranged to attract mates. The irony is that these houses are not used by female birds as places to raise their chicks.
Termite compass. They build large wedge-shaped mounds to nest, and these mounds are usually built in a north-south direction. Scientists believe that with the wedge shape, the temperature in the mounds will be kept at a level suitable for termites.
Honeybee. The entire life of a honey bee revolves around the nest – built with the wax they secrete. In these hives, honey bees process nectar into honey and raise their young.
European redwood ants build large mounds on the forest floor to make homes. Multiple mounds can be linked together as mother and baby mounds, allowing ants to relocate in case of an incident at one of the mounds.
Red-oven sparrows build nests of clay and mud. Their fairly sturdy nests help them avoid being eaten by predators, and once they leave, the nest can still provide a safe haven for other birds.
Wasp nest.
The beaver’s “house” with its “house door” is built underwater to avoid predators.
Montezuma oriole nests – look like bags in the trees.
Tern nest.
Nest of feather-winged insects.