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When populations and diversity of bird species is declining in the urban environment, artificial bird nest is a good option to offer safe refuge to birds in urban environment and even in natural areas where nesting
sites of birds are reducing. Although it is not an alternative for all bird species but it can be very useful for birds that are well acquainted with human beings. Artificial bird houses of different sizes, materials and shapes are designed by bird lovers for attracting different types of birds to their locality. Apart from offering the refuge to birds, bird lovers also know their (birds) nest preferences in terms of nesting material, design and size and also learn about position of installation of the artificial nest. Besides this, by offering different feed material we know about their food requirements, food preference and feeding habits. Through least artificiality and more naturality we can facilitate bird diversity to survive along with human beings.
Artificial bird house provides an opportunity to bird lovers to keep track of the life-styles and behavior of different bird species. Children in particular find it highly fascinating when they find birds coexisting with them and interacting with them. A bird lover can make bird house and hang it at a safe place in a building, or onto a nearby tree, or can place it at a safe platform in house or even at the work place. Small birds like, House Sparrow and other sparrows, Myna, Pigeons, Parakeets, Bulblul, Owlets etc easily adapt to artificial bird nests. Good and durable artificial bird nest house can also be made from cardboards made of recycled cloth and paper.
Here we are discussing how we can make artificial bird nest house and help our avian friends get safe refuge and remain coexist with us.
house or even at the work place. Small birds like, House Sparrow and other sparrows, Myna, Pigeons, Parakeets, Bulblul, Owlets etc easily adapt to artificial bird nests. Good and durable artificial bird nest house can also be made from cardboards made of recycled cloth and paper.
Here we are discussing how we can make artificial bird nest house and help our avian friends get safe refuge and remain coexist with us.
A bird nest house
A bird nest houses is basically a housing structure of different size, materials and shapes, designed for attracting birds to adapt it for nesting purpose. A bird nest house may be simply a shoe box having a small entry hole at one side, or a cardboard box, or an artificial grass woven hollow chamber, or a wooden box or a metallic container with a small entry hole in it, or a well-designed wooden or clay structure etc. Food and water facilities are also arranged to facilitate birds.
1- Hang or place the bird nest house at an appropriate place.
2- Place water and food material (like unprocessed grains or fruits) nearby.
3- Initially birds such as Sparrow, Crow, Maina, etc would come to the bird house and eat the food placed nearby.
4- After some time, realizing that the bird house is suitable to modify as nest, birds will bring the nesting material like grasses, fibers, cotton, leaves etc and will make bed and side lining in the nest house.
5- After the bird adapts your nest house you can start systematic observations of it and record the observations in the data format.
6- You can also make their sketches and/or take photographs for further reference.
Data collection and analysis -
● You can collect observational data of one species for different seasons, or of different species for same seasonal period, or as you wish.
● You can also record the diurnal time budget of a bird (i.e. calculation of time period the bird spends in doing different activities like feeding, resting, singing, brooding, feeding chicks, nest making, flying, wing and body care etc in 24 hours duration).
● You can observe the food preference of different species of birds and can classify them in different feeding classes like granivorous, frugivorous, carnivorous, omnivorous, molluscivorous, piscivorous etc.
● Observations of their mating, egg laying, brooding, feeding, nesting, and maintenance of the nest house etc provides a good opportunity to us to know about their life cycles.
● You can record their calls and other sounds and can make an album of bird sounds. This record may be used as a key to identify a bird by its sound.
● The observations may be recorded at daily basis or periodically as per the study plan, for a bird or for different birds.
1- You can present your observations in the form of quantitative and/or qualitative data and inferences based on mathematical and statistical analysis.
2-.Hand drawn sketches and photographs will be an additional record to display.
● Artificial bird house is a good option to offer safe refuge to birds.
● It is very easy to make a bird house with locally available material. Birds will make beds and linings in it with their nesting material.
● Birds are an integral part of our ecosystems and they perform important ecosystem functions.
● Most of the bird species have sexual dimorphism and one can identify male and female of a species distinctly.
● Birds produce calls and sounds that are specific for specific purpose. One can know many aspects of birds from their calls.
● Do birds also show parasitic nature? Explore and describe with examples.
● How do birds navigate (i.e. find directions) in the air, especially during long migration flights?
● Do birds mimic human sounds? If yes, give examples.
● Give example of birds whom the humans have not been able to domesticate.
