What is a nest in zoology?

In zoology, a nest is a structure built by an animal to house its eggs, young, or itself. Nests are common among insects and vertebrates. Nests serve to keep eggs and larvae in one spot and protect them from predators and environmental factors. Nest construction is a form of parental care that ensures the survival of fertilized eggs or young, so they can grow into reproductive adults. Nest sites vary and can be holes in the ground, trees, rock crevices, or within the nests of other species. Nest building materials include mud, grass, hair, feathers, bark, plant fibres, twigs, leaves, and spiderwebs.

Why do animals build nests?

Animals build nests to house their eggs, their young, or sometimes themselves. Nests serve to keep eggs and larvae in one spot and to protect them from predators and environmental factors like sun and rain. Nest construction is particularly notable in social insects like termites, ants, bees, and wasps, which create elaborate systems of chambers and tunnels. Fish nests range from simple depressions in sand to enclosed structures made of plant materials. Among amphibians, certain frogs construct nests that may be simple mud basins or floating masses of hardened froth. Bird nests are the most commonly observed and highly varied, ranging from no real structure to elaborate woven nests. Smaller mammals like mice, squirrels, and rabbits build nests in trees, on the ground, or in burrows, which function as permanent homes or places to rear young.

Which animals are known for building nests?

Many animals construct nests to house their eggs, young, or themselves. Social insects like termites, ants, bees, and wasps create elaborate underground or above-ground systems of chambers and tunnels. Fish nests range from simple sand depressions to enclosed plant structures. Certain frogs build mud basins or floating masses of hardened froth. Reptiles, such as the American alligator and cobras, build nests of mud, vegetation, or leaves. Birds are the most well-known nest builders, with nests varying from simple scrapes to elaborate woven structures. Passerines, for example, construct nests from mud, grasses, hair, feathers, and spiderwebs. Smaller mammals like harvest mice, squirrels, and rabbits build nests in trees, on the ground, or in burrows.

What materials do animals use to make nests?

Animals use diverse materials to construct nests for housing eggs, young, or themselves. Social insects like termites, ants, bees, and wasps create elaborate chamber and tunnel systems. Fish may use shallow depressions or plant materials bound by kidney secretions. Frogs build mud basins or hardened froth. Reptiles like alligators construct mounds of mud and vegetation, while cobras use leaves and forest debris. Birds, the most common nest builders, display a wide range of nest types. These range from simple scrapes to the retort-shaped nests of weavers, which are woven from grass. They use materials such as twigs, leaves, mud, feathers, and spiderwebs. Some species use saliva to cement mud-built nests or glue twigs together. Passerines, or perching birds, construct nests from mud, grasses, hair, feathers, bark strips, plant fibers, rootlets, twigs, leaves, string, spiderwebs, and cast snake skins. Mammals like mice, squirrels, and rabbits build nests in trees, on the ground, or in burrows, using them as permanent homes or nurseries.

How do bird nests differ from insect nests?

Bird and insect nests serve as structures for housing eggs, young, or the animals themselves. However, they differ significantly in construction, materials, and social function. Insect nests, built by social insects like termites, ants, bees, and wasps, are often complex systems of chambers and tunnels, located above or below ground. These nests provide specific chambers for the queen, eggs, larvae, and pupae, along with ventilation and movement passages. For nest building, paper wasps and yellow jackets use paperlike coverings, constructed by gnawing wood particles and mixing them with saliva. Bird nests vary widely, ranging from simple depressions to elaborate, retort-shaped structures. Birds use a variety of materials such as twigs, leaves, mud, feathers, and spiderwebs. Some species, like African weavers and Baltimore orioles, suspend their nests from tree branches. Others, such as swallows, use saliva as cement for mud-built nests.

How do nests help protect eggs or young animals?

Nests play a crucial role in protecting eggs and young animals from predators and environmental factors. Nests can keep eggs and larvae in one spot and protect them from sun and rain. Nest placement often serves an anti-predatory purpose, such as birds building nests near social wasps or stinging ants. Some nests are flimsy to lessen visibility to predators. Materials like mud, grasses, hair, feathers, and spiderwebs are used in nest construction. Some fish build nests of bubbles that hold the eggs together and provide oxygen.

Nest

Introduction References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics

Images & Videos

Large communal nest of the social weaver bird, Philetairus socius, built in a tree with many entrance holes visible among dense, brown grass woven around bare branches.

Life in a bumblebee colony: A summer tale

Closeup of an American Robin, Turdus migratorius, perched on the edge of its nest made of grass, with nestlings barely visible, in Ontario, Canada.

Springtime in a European woodland: Bumblebees vs. mice

Breeding season for seabirds on Helgoland island

Quick Facts

Related Topics:: beehive; froth nest; honeycomb; carton; broodnest

See all related content

Nest

zoology

Also known as: nest-building

Written and fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Last updated

Nov. 6, 2026 •History

Top Questions

What is a nest in zoology?
In zoology, a nest is a structure built by an animal to house its eggs, young, or itself. Nests are common among insects and vertebrates.

Nests serve to keep eggs and larvae in one spot and protect them from predators and environmental factors. Nest construction is a form of parental care that ensures the survival of fertilized eggs or young, so they can grow into reproductive adults.

Nest sites vary and can be holes in the ground, trees, rock crevices, or within the nests of other species. Nest building materials include mud, grass, hair, feathers, bark, plant fibres, twigs, leaves, and spiderwebs.
3 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Why do animals build nests?
Animals build nests to house their eggs, their young, or sometimes themselves. Nests serve to keep eggs and larvae in one spot and to protect them from predators and environmental factors like sun and rain.

Nest construction is particularly notable in social insects like termites, ants, bees, and wasps, which create elaborate systems of chambers and tunnels. Fish nests range from simple depressions in sand to enclosed structures made of plant materials. Among amphibians, certain frogs construct nests that may be simple mud basins or floating masses of hardened froth. Bird nests are the most commonly observed and highly varied, ranging from no real structure to elaborate woven nests. Smaller mammals like mice, squirrels, and rabbits build nests in trees, on the ground, or in burrows, which function as permanent homes or places to rear young.
3 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Which animals are known for building nests?
Many animals construct nests to house their eggs, young, or themselves. Social insects like termites, ants, bees, and wasps create elaborate underground or above-ground systems of chambers and tunnels. Fish nests range from simple sand depressions to enclosed plant structures. Certain frogs build mud basins or floating masses of hardened froth.

Reptiles, such as the American alligator and cobras, build nests of mud, vegetation, or leaves. Birds are the most well-known nest builders, with nests varying from simple scrapes to elaborate woven structures. Passerines, for example, construct nests from mud, grasses, hair, feathers, and spiderwebs. Smaller mammals like harvest mice, squirrels, and rabbits build nests in trees, on the ground, or in burrows.
2 Britannica Sources
1. passeriform: Nesting
2. nest
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What materials do animals use to make nests?
Animals use diverse materials to construct nests for housing eggs, young, or themselves. Social insects like termites, ants, bees, and wasps create elaborate chamber and tunnel systems. Fish may use shallow depressions or plant materials bound by kidney secretions. Frogs build mud basins or hardened froth. Reptiles like alligators construct mounds of mud and vegetation, while cobras use leaves and forest debris.

Birds, the most common nest builders, display a wide range of nest types. These range from simple scrapes to the retort-shaped nests of weavers, which are woven from grass. They use materials such as twigs, leaves, mud, feathers, and spiderwebs. Some species use saliva to cement mud-built nests or glue twigs together. Passerines, or perching birds, construct nests from mud, grasses, hair, feathers, bark strips, plant fibers, rootlets, twigs, leaves, string, spiderwebs, and cast snake skins. Mammals like mice, squirrels, and rabbits build nests in trees, on the ground, or in burrows, using them as permanent homes or nurseries.
2 Britannica Sources
1. passeriform: Nesting
2. nest
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
How do bird nests differ from insect nests?
Bird and insect nests serve as structures for housing eggs, young, or the animals themselves. However, they differ significantly in construction, materials, and social function.

Insect nests, built by social insects like termites, ants, bees, and wasps, are often complex systems of chambers and tunnels, located above or below ground. These nests provide specific chambers for the queen, eggs, larvae, and pupae, along with ventilation and movement passages. For nest building, paper wasps and yellow jackets use paperlike coverings, constructed by gnawing wood particles and mixing them with saliva.

Bird nests vary widely, ranging from simple depressions to elaborate, retort-shaped structures. Birds use a variety of materials such as twigs, leaves, mud, feathers, and spiderwebs. Some species, like African weavers and Baltimore orioles, suspend their nests from tree branches. Others, such as swallows, use saliva as cement for mud-built nests.
4 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
How do nests help protect eggs or young animals?
Nests play a crucial role in protecting eggs and young animals from predators and environmental factors. Nests can keep eggs and larvae in one spot and protect them from sun and rain.

Nest placement often serves an anti-predatory purpose, such as birds building nests near social wasps or stinging ants. Some nests are flimsy to lessen visibility to predators. Materials like mud, grasses, hair, feathers, and spiderwebs are used in nest construction. Some fish build nests of bubbles that hold the eggs together and provide oxygen.
4 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Nest, structure created by an animal to house its eggs, its young, or, in some cases, itself. Nests are built by a few invertebrates, especially the social insects, and by some members of all the major vertebrate groups.

weaver antsWeaver ants (*Oecophylla smaragdina*) binding leaves together with larval silk.

The social insects (termites, ants, bees, and wasps) build the only true nests found among the arthropods. These nests are often elaborate systems of chambers and tunnels, above or below ground. Chambers are often provided for the queen, eggs, larvae, and pupae, as well as passages for ventilation and movement.

The nests of fishes vary from shallow depressions scooped in sand or gravel (used by many groups) to enclosed structures constructed of plant materials, such as those constructed by male sticklebacks, which use a secretion produced by the kidneys as a binding material.

A zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata) with a bright orange beak, gray head, orange cheek patch, and black-and-white striped tail perches on a branch.

Nest

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