Most Amazing Nests Built By Bird Architects

The Montezuma Oropendola From a distance, the nests of the Montezuma oropendola look like low-hanging fruit, a cruel illusion if you happen to find yourself shipwrecked and starving on a Caribbean island. 

The Malleefowl Contrary to what most people think, a nest isn't necessarily a structure built in a tree. For example, malleefowls create huge nests on the ground, some of which can measure over 150 feet in circumference and two feet high. 

The African Jacana What would happen if you crossed a bird with a frog? Well, you might wind up with something like the African jacana, which lays its eggs on floating nests only a bit more advanced than lily pads..

The Cactus Ferruginous Pygmy Owl It's hard to imagine a more uncomfortable place to build a nest than inside a saguaro cactus, but the cactus ferruginous pygmy owl somehow manages to pull off this trick.

The Sociable Weaver The nests of sociable weavers are semi-permanent structures, used by multiple generations over the course of three or four decades, and like termite nests they incorporate advanced ventilation and insulation systems that keep the interior of the nest cool in the blazing African sun. 

The Edible-Nest Swiftlet This strange bird constructs its nest out of its own hardened saliva, which it deposits in layers on rocks or (in areas where bird's nest soup is especially popular) in specialized bird houses equipped with electronic "tweeters" to attract tenants. 

The Bowerbird If there was an avian equivalent of HGTV, its star would be the bowerbird, the males of which decorate their elaborate nests with any colorful items near to hand, either naturally occurring (leaves, rocks, shells, feathers, berries) or man-made (coins, nails, rifle shells, small bits of plastic). 

The Ovenbird The red ovenbird has the most characteristic nest, a thick, round, sturdy structure assembled by breeding couples out of clay over the course of about six weeks.

The Penduline Tit The nests of these birds are so elaborately conceived (one species incorporates a false entrance on the top, the real interior being accessed by a sticky flap hidden underneath) and expertly woven (out of a combination of animal hair, wool, soft plants and even spider webs) that they have been used by humans throughout history as handbags and children's slippers.

The Bee-Eater Besides their habit of eating bees and other flying insects, bee-eaters are known for their characteristic nests: stark holes dug into the ground, or into the sides of cliffs, where these birds raise their young. 

The Southern Masked Weaver Remember those lanyards you used to make in summer camp? Well, that's the essential gimmick of the southern masked weaver of Africa, which constructs its intricate nests out of wide strips of grass, reeds, and/or palm blades.