Weaver birds are skilled nest builders. They can build intricate and elegant nests by looping together blades of grass. In Africa, the social weavers take nest construction even further. Together, a colony can build a huge communal nest in the desert, where they live all year round. But how has this particular behaviour evolved?
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References:
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van Dijk RE, et al. The thermoregulatory benefits of the communal nest of sociable weavers Philetairus socius are spatially structured within nests. J Avian Biol 2013;44:102-110.
Medina I. The role of the environment in the evolution of nest shape in Australian passerines. Sci Rep 2019;9:5560.
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in the early passerines. Proc Biol Sci 2017;284:20162708.
Duursma DE, et al. Variation in avian egg shape and nest structure is explained by climatic conditions. Sci Rep 2018;8:4141.
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colonial bird, the sociable weaver, in a semi-arid environment. Afr J Ecol 2017; doi: 10.1111/aje.12484.
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