World's Largest Bird Nest: Can Reach One Ton – Accommodating 500 Birds. "No One Dare Touch It"
The world is full of wonders, and humans have created brilliant civilizations. However, some animals' creativity can also surprise us, and their ability to build nests is a masterpiece. For example, the next species we will introduce is: colonial nest builders. They are said to be the most skilled craftsmen in the world.
If you go to southern Africa, including South Africa, Namibia, and Botswana, you will see a strange sight on the streets near the countryside – large lumps growing on power poles or trees, which makes people curious.
These are actually masterpieces of colonial nest builders. Colonial nest builders are the most common birds in southern Africa, and they look very similar to sparrows; their beaks are strong and healthy; the first flight feather is longer than the main flight feather, and male birds have two color changes in the breeding season. Their colors are particularly vibrant outside the breeding season, and they are not much different from female birds.
Birds meticulously weave huge nests, which are rare in the avian world. According to biological concepts, birds usually live in pairs or alone, but there are very few that live together like this.
Colonial nest builders usually consist of several groups, and they will build permanent nests on trees or other tall objects. This is the largest bird nest ever, and the birds bring straw, leaves, and mud from all directions to build it. They then use their saliva to consolidate it. Inside the nest, there are many 'unit rooms', and each unit room can accommodate a couple of colonial nest builders. When the members increase, the nest will expand and form a fixed outline. The colonial nest builders' lifespan is generally about 5 years, but it is common for 'four generations to live together' or 'five generations to live together' within the colonial nest builders.
The scale of the nest is usually 4-5m long and can accommodate more than 100 pairs of birds. If the environment allows, it can even be expanded. Once, a whole nest of one big tree was taken down, weighing one ton, and contained about 200 rooms, accommodating more than 500 colonial nest builders.
Colonial nest builders choose their building sites in sparse grasslands and territories. They sometimes also place them near human settlements. They are bold and don't fear people much. They like to forage for seeds and small insects in shrubs and trees under the forest.
If you are in a small town in the countryside, have you ever had the experience of emptying a bird's nest? Do people in Africa also like to empty these large nests? The answer is no. In South Africa, almost no one dares to interfere with the colonial nest builders' nests.
This is because the colonial nest builders have enemies: African tree snakes. African tree snakes are a very fierce reptile, and they are among the most poisonous snakes in the world. Their venom can kill an adult human. African tree snakes live in southern Africa and feed on insects and birds.
The colonial nest builders' nests are a feast for them, especially during the breeding season, when there are many bird eggs inside. When the red colonial nest builders encounter this creature, they either die in the snake's belly or have to move away. Therefore, there are many empty nests on the street.
The colonial nest builders' houses can be used as shade and insulation during the day. Even if it's 33 degrees Celsius outside, the inside might only be 7-8 degrees Celsius, which is the favorite living environment for cold-blooded snakes. Therefore, African tree snakes and other poisonous insects like to live in the abandoned colonial nest builders' nests. So, when the nests stand silently on the trees, no one dares to disturb them.
