Birds of Australia - species that build basket-shaped nests
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on different types of nest 
.
Note that we use the term "basket" here, while the terms "cup" or "bowl" are more commonly used. We choose "basket", because the strands of which nests are made are often intricately interwoven, i.e. reminiscent of a woven basket. There are various possible overall shapes a basket nest can take. Here we show a few examples. We present nests made from mud on a separate page on mud nests. Shallow depressions in the ground, which are also commonly called "bowls", are described here.
Basket nests are the type of nest with the widest range of shapes, materials used and sizes. They range from the flimsical constructions of some dove/pigeon species, via the proto-typical stick nests of species such as the Australian Magpie, to enormous "aeries" (nests of raptors/birds of prey which, in the case of the Wedge-tailed Eagle, can weigh up to half a metric tonne. There is also a great variety of locations in which such nests can be placed or how they can be modified to suit the user's specific needs. This is our attempt to compile a representative cross-section.
We distinguish here between the following types/configurations:
| Supported | The weight of the nest and its contents is carried either by the branch(es) or twig(s) of a tree or shrub or simply by the ground |
| Suspended | Basket nests can be suspended from several fixture points, in a stable yet flexible configuration |
| Hanging | Basket nests can be part of a larger structure, e.g. a bottle-shaped construction, that is hanging from a single point of support |
| Floating | Basket-shaped nests can also be supported by the buoyancy of water, floating on the water's surface |
| Dome-shaped | Nests with a dome (the base of which will be basket-shaped), whichever way they are supported, offer extra protection against predators |
Supported
Mechanically the simplest configuration of constructing a basket nest is by supporting its weight from underneath. This can happen either in a tree/shrub, either on a branch or a fork, or on the ground. Other methods of construction are described farther below.
In a tree/shrub
For reasons of stability, basket nests in trees or shrubs are usually placed in a fork - this provides a nest with at least three points of support.
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Nest |
"bungobittah", "lar", "malunna", "jindi" [bundjalung] = nest [Aboriginal] |
(Only species for which we have some kind of breeding information of our own are shown here.)
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Photos |
Cup-shaped
Restless Flycatcher basket nest in a Cypress pine tree
[Eulah Creek, NSW, January 2016]
Peaceful Dove nest in a
bottlebrush tree,
supported by the branches of a four-way fork
[Eulah Creek, NSW, January 2016]
Australian Magpie
on its stick nest
[Near Wee Waa, NSW, September 2012]
Wedge-tailed Eagle
nest in the only tree worth its name in several square kilometres
[Flinders Ranges
NP, SA, March 2008]
On the ground
There are a number of ground-nesting birds that build, usually in protected places, basket-shaped nests (rather than using a scrape in open country). Only large birds can allow themselves to have rather conspicuous nests out in the open.
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Nest |
"bungobittah", "lar", "malunna", "jindi" [bundjalung] = nest [Aboriginal] |
(Only species for which we have some kind of breeding information of our own are shown here.)
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Photos |
Grey Shrike-thrush
nest on the ground, hidden in dense growth under a wattle shrub
[Mt. Kaputar NP,
NSW, September 2008]
Lateral view of a Cape Barren Goose on its nest
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Port Arthur, TAS, September 2021]
Suspended
We distinguish here between "hanging" and "suspended" nests. The term "hanging" is used for nests that dangle from a single point of fixture; "suspended" is used to describe nests that have more than one point of support.
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Nest |
"bungobittah", "lar", "malunna", "jindi" [bundjalung] = nest [Aboriginal] |
(Only species for which we have some kind of breeding information of our own are shown here.)
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Photos |
Example of a "suspended" basket nest - Little Friarbird
[Eulah Creek, NSW, January 2011]
Hanging
We distinguish here between "hanging" and "suspended" nests. The term "hanging" is used for nests that dangle from a single point of fixture; "suspended" is used to describe nests that have more than one point of support.
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Nest |
"bungobittah", "lar", "malunna", "jindi" [bundjalung] = nest [Aboriginal] |
(Only species for which we have some kind of breeding information of our own are shown here.)
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Photos |
Example of a nest "hanging" from one single point of support -
the domed nest of a White-throated Gerygone
[Pilliga NR,
NSW, December 2011]
Floating
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Nest |
"bungobittah", "lar", "malunna", "jindi" [bundjalung] = nest [Aboriginal] |
(Only species for which we have some kind of breeding information of our own are shown here.)
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Photos |
Floating nest: Australasian
Grebe nest on our small farm dam when it was full for the
first time in 10 years; note how this nest has a flat top - the
reeds are covering eggs
[Eulah Creek, NSW, December 2011]
Dome-shaped nest
Domed nests provide the occupants with additional protection against predators and are therefore a popular design, especially amongst small bird species.
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Nest |
"bungobittah", "lar", "malunna", "jindi" [bundjalung] = nest [Aboriginal] |
(Only species for which we have some kind of breeding information of our own are shown here.)
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Photos |
Look into a domed
Double-barred Finch nest with three chicks
(photo courtesy of R. Druce)
[Maules Creek, NSW, September 2011]
