From the ancient Egyptians and Chinese, through Michelangelo and Thomas Jefferson,
humanity's history has been full of great architects and architecture. Humans were
not the first ones to build structures to be used for a dwelling - some animals
have been building intricate structures while humans were still living in caves.
Behold Some Of God's Most Amazing Architects. Enjoy! :)
The Red Ovenbird - Made of clay and mud, their nests protect the Red Ovenbirds
from predators, and if abandoned, they're used as a new home for other birds.
Sources: merlinsilk.com, Eric Henrique
The Montezuma Oropendola - Uses vines and grass to build colonies of up to 30
individuals, comprising of an alpha male and his harem of females.
Sources: Andrew Block, Simon Valdez
The Sociable Weaver - Native to Southern Africa, the Sociable Weavers build huge
communal nests that host hundreds of the little flyers, many of whom are part
of the same family. Using sticks and grass, the weavers make these permanent
homes, using the inner chambers of the nests to stay warm during the cold season.
Sources: Mike Soroczynski, TyneWear-Rob
Swallows - Some Swallow species build nests out of various materials, some
scavenge for abandoned nests, but some species choose to build their nests
using their own saliva. (In some places, these edible nests are considered
a real delicacy...)
Sources: Saurav Pandey, thetransientbiologist.wordpress.com, Sabyasachi Kolkata
The Vogelkop Bowerbird - These small huts (called bowers), comprised of grass and sticks, are built by the male Vogelkops in order to attract potential mates. To make their huts look even more successful, the Vogelkops arrange berries, sticks, beetles, etc. outside. Oddly enough, the bowers are later abandoned and not used for raising their young.
Sources: Ingo Arndt, thewildernessalternative.com, cannedyams.wordpress.com
The Baya Weaver - To protect themselves from predators, the Baya Weaver birds build their nests in Acacia trees and thorny palms. While the weavers are often found in colonies, the occasional lone nests do exist.
Sources: Ingo Arndt, Ramnath Bhat, Farhan Younus, subroto
Beavers - famous for building dams. These wood and grass structures are built to flood a certain area with water, while the beavers use the underwater entrance to the damn in order to avoid predators and make fishing easier. The largest known damn is nearly a kilometer (3000 feet) long and is located in Canada's Wood Buffalo National Park.
Sources: Ingo Arndt, From A Helicopter by Parks Canada
For those of you who Want More FUN - Visit The Shangy Fun List! Variety is the
spice of life! The Shangy Fun List is an ezine packed full of Poems, Inspirational and
Heart Warming Stories. Jokes from G to slightly R, and Anything else that just
might make you SMILE! Join In The Free FUN!! ... :)
-To SHANGRALA-
