What kind of bird makes a nest like THIS ?

[KurtNYC]

I have 2 lab pups and we were out in the backyard. The male turns around and he has something in his mouth. I'm used to him coming up with a stick or some other item that he wants to play with or have thrown, so I quickly notice that he is being careful. He puts it down at my feet and looks up at me and does that head tilt thing. And it is the nest shown below. I do my best to tell him that it is something to do with birds, they made it, they live in it. More head tilting from the puppy.

(I'm still getting used to these 2 dogs. Compared to the dozen dogs I have had in the past, they are off the charts smart. A whole other creature. Like dolphins in dog costumes. I've never had a dog ask a question like this but they surprise me every day. )

Lined with feathers, filled with potpourri, designed with a boat shape in keeping with local nautical motifs. Just awesome. If there was a version of Etsy for animals then the bird who made this would be highly rated. I brought in for a photograph and then put it back out on sort of shelf on the outside of our garage in case the birds will reoccupy it or scavenge the materials. I confess I know danged little about birds.

[redwitch]

1. No idea but it IS pretty!

I like the idea of Etsy for birds. :-)

[NV Whino]

2. Birds are amazingly inventive

I've seen nests of woven (fair-sized) twigs (bluejays), woven pine needles, twigs and needles and cat hair (similar to yours, but neater), dryer lint, horse hair, moss... you name it. They are fascinating. Great blue herons and osprey use limbs rather than twigs. But sorry, don't know what your bird is. Your dogs sound awesome.

[KurtNYC]

11. yes, cat hair !

which makes sense because there are 3 cats next door. There is a whole bird / cat bio system. How cool.

[GoCubsGo]

21. You can set out dog or cat hair during nesting season for the birds.

Just save whatever you brush out of your dogs or cats over the next few months, and come springtime, just stick in some crevices out in the yard, or place it in a suet feeder cage. You can also present other small, soft items, like bits of yarn, cotton, and dryer lint. They will love you for it.

[Demoiselle]

23. Yup. We've had Great Pyrenees for years..

And whenever we find an abandoned nest around here, it has lots of lovely white fluffy dog coat in it.
I love the interconnectedness of it all...

[raccoon]

37. What about people hair? nt

[GoCubsGo]

3. Could be any of them.

Birds use what they can get. If it was something the dog pulled from the bushes, odds are it was a robin. They tend to nest low. It looks like the robin's nests I've seen. Or, it could be a Carolina wren. They nest wherever they can find a spot. I've seen them nest in wheel wells of cars, barbecue grills, hanging baskets...

[Curmudgeoness]

4. It's beautiful, and I would not have put it back outside.

I would have used it as a decorative piece in the house, along with my interesting piece of wood and animal skulls. But I suppose I am a little odd.

The birds will not occupy it again, and you can supply them with materials with dryer lint, animal fur, etc. at the time the birds start nesting. They will just use anything. I have seen cigarette butts and cellophane as well as a brave bird collecting fur right off the back of a dog. Gotta love those birds!

[stuntcat]

5. great job the birdies did!

that's beautiful!

[david13]

6. Some people would make soup with that thing. Not me. The

birds won't use it again.
They'll just build another one.
I think that fell, and then you're dog got it. Your dog can't climb trees, can he?
dc

[XemaSab]

8. The bird nests that they use for bird nest soup

are made from the nests of the Edible Nest Swiftlet.

They make their nests exclusively out of saliva. :o

[stuntcat]

10. :O

mmmm bird spit soup :o I'd try it once I suppose

[david13]

12. Blah. Ugh, there are some things I don't need to know.

I think birds are very interesting, but I have never been into watching them much. I'm lucky if I can identify it as a bird, let alone what color or type.
Last year in Yosemite I passed a group of about 20; they were set up with huge cameras and looking up at some birds, no doubt special types, with extremely large lenses, high dollar equipment. I hung around for a minute or two, but they were all too deeply into what they were doing to give me any simple answers about the birds they were after, or were encountering.
I would imagine the Redding area has some nice viewing areas.
Oh, one bird. I was on Egmont Key 3 years ago. Walking along the beach, on top of a broken off palm was a huge bird. Looked like an eagle. He squawked at me quite a bit. I walked on. Then looked back. More looking and squawking. So on I walked. As he flew off, he was carrying a fish. He was ready to defend it against me. I later saw his huge nest on top of a radio antenna. Osprey, or fish eagle.
dc

[XemaSab]

14. Get a field guide and a pair of binoculars

I recommend the National Geographic birds of California.

Also, the LA Audubon society has all kinds of outings.

http://losangelesaudubon.org/

:hi:

[david13]

15. Some years ago I did get Birds of North America. I am getting into

some hiking. As that was what I was in Yosemite for last year. But I'm not specifically going for birds at this time.
Just in passing.
Too many other things going on right now.
dc

[GreenPartyVoter]

28. Makes me think of

"I think it would be more appropriate if the box bore a large red label warning 'lark's vomit'."

[Curmudgeoness]

7. If you don't get answer on what bird built this nest

here is a guy who says he will identify nests from descriptions and pictures.

I didn't find any nests that looked like this. It is not made with as many twigs as most of the nests I see, the construction is looser than I am finding. But it is amazing that it still held together so well.

[XemaSab]

9. I have no idea

but it looks super comfortable.

Note that there's a twiggy outer nest, and there are smaller, softer grasses for an inner nest, in addition to the hair.

What's the overall size? More like a softball, or more like a volleyball?

[KurtNYC]

13. pretty classic nest size

if I cup my hands together the nest would fit nicely in the cup, so maybe 6".

[Tuesday Afternoon]

16. damn fine architect, that bird

bee-you-ti-ful find there :thumbsup:

[pacalo]

17. It's adorable!

If I'm not mistaken, the protrusion angled on the bottom left looks like the fibers of a cigarette filter. So cute!

[KurtNYC]

19. I think the largest twigs at the top,

those two that cross in a kind of boat bow, I just imagine the bird perching on one of those. And I imagine eggs on the right side.

[csziggy]

18. My first thought was chipping sparrow since they like to line their nest with hair

But theirs seem much neater than that one:


Apparently chickadees use a lot of moss and fur in their nests:


http://www.sialis.org/nestschickadee.htm

[Denninmi]

20. Looks like a cardinal nest to me.

They love to use anything they can scavenge for the middle layer. They build a 3 part nest - sticks on the outside, a middle layer of something that helps to strengthen and waterproof it, and an inner lining of dried grasses woven fairly neatly together.

I can see this basic structure in the photo. The leaves in the center of it are probably just incidental, falling in during the autumn.

I once had cardinals build a nest in my climbing rose that was constructed with "high tech" materials -- the center layer was composed of Twix and Three Musketeer wrappers the birds had scavenged along the roadside, courtesy of the slobs that drive by and discard their trash (I live on the corner of a main road).

[tigereye]

22. trying to remember which bird pulls hair off animals or

people when flying by... :D That's a lovely nest.

[david13]

36. I never heard of that. The only think I know about is Africa, where

those birds run around on the various animals, but they are picking off the bugs, or fleas or something, and the animal likes it, lets them do it.
dc

[applegrove]

24. You are lucky the dog didn't bring you a hornet's nest!

[KurtNYC]

25. He found a cell phone with no battery then 5 days later he found

a cell phone battery. Found a two-dollar bill, a pair of glasses, an italian wool hat and boy's baby bib that fits him. He is an unusual dog.

[applegrove]

26. What a good looking fella!

[Skittles]

30. who does that dog think he is kidding?

a baby gave him that bib, you know; yes INDEED

[surrealAmerican]

34. Well, dogs are scavengers.

He's just taking it to the next level.

[Kali]

27. nice shot, but for ID purposes people need to include something for scale

a ball point pen or a coin works well.

I think that is bigger than it looks to me - which is a bit like a hummingbird nest. Around here Orioles are the birds that use the most varied materials. Specifically horse mane and tail hair! But also yarn, gum wrappers, "shake" from the laundry - especially loose threads from old towels and cleaning rags. (we hang on a line so shake stuff out there rather than lint from a dryer)

[denbot]

29. We have and elm that shades a good portion of our backyard.

After a pair of hummingbirds were done with a nest I took a closer look at it. It was made in kinda of a sack shape, three inches long with the opening towards the top. I've seen other hummingbird nests in the same tree, but the others were the size and shape of a halved walnut.

What was really cool about this nest was that it was partially built and fully lined with spiderweb.

[cherokeeprogressive]

31. "local nautical motif"

Um...

Two long twigs do not a "local motif" make.

On the other hand, where are the oars?

[RandomThoughts]

32. meatballs referance there

the end race is better.

[Fla Dem]

33. Could be as common as a sparrow nest. Would help if you

know what birds are commonly in your area. Then this web site has many examples of different bid nests.

http://www.sialis.org/nests.htm

[KurtNYC]

35. very helpful and interesting

bookmarking that

Thanks.