: 10.62796/pijst
Dr. M. O. Okalori, Federal Polytechnic Ekowe, Bayelsa State Nigeria.
Published Date: 02-04-2025 Issue: Vol. 2 No. 4 (2025): April 2025 Published Paper PDF: Download
Abstract- Nesting behaviour in animals is widespread and diverse throughout the Animal Kingdom. A considerable number of groups rely, to varying degrees, on spatially confined sites in which to reproduce. The construction of nests, both by males and females, occurs across many taxa. This review provides evidence of nesting behaviours among major classes of animals with particular emphasis on birds, reptiles, mammals, fishes and insects. The discussion clarifies both similarities and contrasts between the divergent taxa. Nest building is charted through several related topics: nest architecture and the materials employed; nest-site selection and seasonality; parental care and mating systems; the threat of predation and surviving strategies; physiology and genetics that control behaviour. A concentrated review of the literature uses three illustrative examples to demonstrate the variability of the behaviour of species presenting widely different ecological affiliations and natural history. Land-use change, climate change and pollution have direct and indirect effects on nest-building organisms and the habitats on which they rely. The potential for conservation prescriptions is discussed. Nesting behaviour plays a crucial role in an animal’s life cycles and evolutionary history. Elaborate structures are widespread throughout the Animal Kingdom, revealing high levels of taxonomic and structural diversity to be found among isolated populations and between the divergent classes, from the least-active builders such as frogs and fish that simply modify preconstructions, to the elaborate nest architectures of rodents and spiders, mammals, fishes, passerine and social birds within which individuals may remain for extended periods.
Keywords- nesting behaviour, taxonomy, ecology, parental care, conservation.
Published Date: 02-04-2025 Issue: Vol. 2 No. 4 (2025): April 2025 Published Paper PDF: Download
Abstract- Nesting behaviour in animals is widespread and diverse throughout the Animal Kingdom. A considerable number of groups rely, to varying degrees, on spatially confined sites in which to reproduce. The construction of nests, both by males and females, occurs across many taxa. This review provides evidence of nesting behaviours among major classes of animals with particular emphasis on birds, reptiles, mammals, fishes and insects. The discussion clarifies both similarities and contrasts between the divergent taxa. Nest building is charted through several related topics: nest architecture and the materials employed; nest-site selection and seasonality; parental care and mating systems; the threat of predation and surviving strategies; physiology and genetics that control behaviour. A concentrated review of the literature uses three illustrative examples to demonstrate the variability of the behaviour of species presenting widely different ecological affiliations and natural history. Land-use change, climate change and pollution have direct and indirect effects on nest-building organisms and the habitats on which they rely. The potential for conservation prescriptions is discussed. Nesting behaviour plays a crucial role in an animal’s life cycles and evolutionary history. Elaborate structures are widespread throughout the Animal Kingdom, revealing high levels of taxonomic and structural diversity to be found among isolated populations and between the divergent classes, from the least-active builders such as frogs and fish that simply modify preconstructions, to the elaborate nest architectures of rodents and spiders, mammals, fishes, passerine and social birds within which individuals may remain for extended periods.
Keywords- nesting behaviour, taxonomy, ecology, parental care, conservation.
