Birds can choose the best nesting material

(birds) can learn how to choose the best nesting materials for their nest, according to scientists.

In the past, it was often thought that the selection of bird nesting materials was determined by their genes, and that each bird had 'genetic nest patterns'.

However, a recent study has shown that nesting is a much more complex cognitive activity.

Published in the Royal Society magazine, this study was done by giving sparrows a choice of soft or hard branches to build their nests.

'We found that sparrows love hard branches, because they help them build their nests easily and efficiently and they can build nests with fewer materials', research leader Dr. Ida Bailey from the University of St Andrew explained.

Dr. Bailey and colleagues also conducted experiments on birds' ability to learn, their experiment to find out whether birds can learn to distinguish materials based on their own characteristics. is not?

To experiment, they gave the first group of finches, a soft material, and the second group of firmer branches, which seemed to be more structured to build the nest. After that, both groups were given both materials to choose freely. And the first group immediately chose harder branches to build a nest.

Dr. Bailey added: 'In the natural world, there is a huge variety of shapes in the form of the nest, some of them are like a masterpiece - birds with leaves and leaves together form these The basket nest is very special '.

'And because birds don't have intelligence like humans - they learn how to use materials - so they are assumed to have innate patterns in their brains. This study has shown that learning really plays a very important role in their decision. '

Mike Tom from the British Trust Ordnance said that this study was done with great significance.

'This new knowledge certainly helps us to increase the respect for the construction skills of species such as the long-tail corn finches - the birds use up to thousands of materials for their nests on the birth zones. living differently '.