Welcome to You Ask Andy

David Korrosi age 13, of Ashland, Kentucky, for his question:

How do tailorbirds build heir nests?

Birds gather available scrap materials from nature and most of them build their marvelous nests in jig time. When you consider the size of average birds, their skills and their concentrated industry, you realize that even the shabbiest nest is a triumph. However, most birds are artists and artisans. The 400 or so species of the subfamily Sylviinae are among the most highly talented nest builders. This group includes the amazing t4ilorbirds who actually sew pouches to hold their nests.

The various tailorbirds enjoy their busy lives in parts of Asia, in northern Africa and southern Europe. They range in length from four to five inches and most of them wear rusty browns and olive greens that blend with the dense shrubbery that borders the forests. The average tailorbird has an extra long, slightly curved bill and his skinny legs look rather incongruous with his neat little round body.

He is famous for his needlework and some say that he is the only bird who really sews and stitches his nest with thread. Some observers contend that the actual tailoring is done by the male bird, He starts by selecting a twig with several large flopping leaves. Then he uses his sharp bill to stab rows of neatly spaced holes around the edges of two or more leaves.

When this perforating is done, he goes searching for suitable threads to sew his seams. Perhaps the female joins this search. After all, the parent birds share their family responsibilities and some birdwatchers believe that a pair of tailorbirds mate for life. They search for long plant fibers, tufts of wool and lengths of various other materials that can be used as suitable threads. The male bird is the tailoring expert. He uses his long bill to stitch the threads back and forth through his rows of perforated holes. As he works, he pulls the sides of his seams together. When the tailoring job is finished, the edges of two or three large leaves are stitched together to form a neat, cone shaped pouch.

The nest is hidden inside this leafy pocket. Stringy grasses and more hairy threads are used to construct the oval shaped outer wall. The inside is lined with plant down and soft feathery scraps. When finished, it hangs from a twig, safely inside its tailored pouch of floppy leaves. These birds live in warm and tropical  regions where leaves tend to grow large and thick. Finding suitable material to tailor the nest pocket is no problem. Mrs. Tailorbird lays two or three brown spotted eggs and both parents are kept busy finding insect food for their growing chicks. Later in the season the whole family may add dessert courses of fruit or berries.

The family name Sylviinae refers to the woodsy thickets in which these many little birds make their homes. All are expert nest builders, though the various tailorbird species are the champions. All of them are talented songbirds, including the tailorbirds. The group includes many warblers of Europe and Asia, Africa and Australia, plus the willow warbler of Alaska. The pretty little kinglets and gnat¬catchers of North America also belong in this family of talented singers and nest builders.

 

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