Birds of Australia - species that build mud nests
Mud nests are durable and therefore valuable assets that can potentially be re-used. Even if not used directly, as a nest, they can at least serve as the platform on which to build one's own stick nest (see below).
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Nest |
"bungobittah", "lar", "malunna", "jindi" [bundjalung] = nest [Aboriginal] |
Apart from various species of swallows and martins, for which this type of nest is typical, there are three additional mud-nesting bird species in Australia.
View into a Magpie-lark
nest with 4 eggs in it
[Eulah Creek, NSW]
Apostlebird
on its nest
[Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2008]
White-winged Chough
on its nest
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2011]
The effort that has gone into their construction sometimes makes mud nests the "bone of contention" between interested species. We have observed squabbles about nests a number of times. The audio recording below is just one example.
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Call(s)/Song |
For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The
interpretation of their meaning is our own;
comments and suggestions for improvement 
are welcome.
In September 2014 we recorded the following sequence of calls, when a mob of White-winged Choughs had to defend its nest against a mob of interfering Apostlebirds. A pair of Magpie-larks, who are always under threat of having their nests pinched by Apostlebirds, also joined the melee.
| mudnest_20140925.mp3 | (NW NSW) | Squabbling over White-winged Chough nest | © MD |
Indirect re-use
Here some examples of indirect re-use of a mud nest.
Male Common Bronzewing
sitting on its nest, which is built ontop of a re-used White-winged Chough nest
[Leard State Forest, NSW, November 2012]
White-breasted
Woodswallow sitting on its nest, which is built ontop of a re-used
Magpie-lark nest
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, October 2013]
This Fairy
Martin nest (the one with the bottle shape right at the centre)
was re-used by a pair of Striated Pardalotes
[Dripping Rock, near Maules Creek, NSW, October 2011]
Clustered nesting
When there is such a commotion as can be heard in the recording above, the situation is not always competitive. We have observed several species taking part in what might be described as "clustered (or semi-colonial) nesting".