[caption id="attachment_119247" align="aligncenter" width="800"]HIGH AND DRY A flamingo’s single, chalky white egg hatches atop a pile of mud. Both male and female construct the tall nest, heaping and packing soft mud into a volcano-shaped mound. The high nest protects the precious egg from changes in water level.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_119249" align="aligncenter" width="1224"]BOBBING ALONG A floating mass of aquatic plants provides the perfect platform for a pair of red-necked grebes. Anchored to nearby vegetation, the nest is situated to protect eggs and chicks from mammalian predators.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_119250" align="aligncenter" width="1080"]GROUNDED
For the semipalmated plover, the best nest is little more than a shallow depression in sand, among rocks, or in sparse vegetation. A female lays three or four mottled eggs that are pointed at one end. This pyriform shape keeps the eggs from rolling away.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_119251" align="aligncenter" width="684"]HANDYMAN
Using strips of palm, rice plants, or grass, a male baya weaver knits together a hanging nest with an entrance tunnel.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_119286" align="aligncenter" width="900"]SOFT AND STRETCHY
With spider webs, a female hummingbird binds together twigs, moss, soft plant fibers, and bits of leaves and lichens. The tiny, cup-shaped nest is soft and spongy, stretching and expanding as chicks grow.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_119254" align="aligncenter" width="864"]REUSERS
In some places, burrowing owls dig their own burrows,
but they more commonly settle into a burrow abandoned by a ground squirrel or other rodent, badger, skunk, armadillo, or tortoise. The female owl stays underground with her eggs and chicks, while the male hunts and feeds the family.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_119256" align="aligncenter" width="828"]COOL AND DRY
A monogamous pair of Gila woodpeckers work together to excavate a nest cavity in a dry cactus or palm. The pair reuse the same nest for several years.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_119257" align="aligncenter" width="864"]APARTMENT COMPLEX
A sociable weaver nest is a busy place as year-round shelter and warmth for up to 200 birds, with separate entrances and chambers for each family unit.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_119258" align="aligncenter" width="800"]ADOBE
Ovenbirds build a sturdy, enclosed nest of mud mixed with plant matter. [/caption]