Interesting but I have a hard time imagining how a nest made of anti-bird spikes could be comfortable. Do they actually find it to be nice? I guess corvids are super smart and wouldn't accidentally get tricked into making an uncomfortable nest due to man made materials...
I saw an osprey pull a three-foot fragment of steel wire out of a wire rope on a tramp steamer one time. Damndest thing you ever saw, he kept circling and grabbing at this cable with his talons and I thought he was attacking or something, but I got my camera up in time to see him fly off with this twist of wire as long as his wingspan, pulled up under him like a fish. They love human detritus as structural material in their nests, which can be six feet across and four deep.
> For the crows, the spikes seem purely structural, a material used to fashion a solid foundation. In both crow nests, the wires were incorporated into the base–interwoven with the points facing inward, below where a softer nest cup would sit. But for the magpies, there was an additional layer of intrigue; not only were the birds using the spikes to build nests, but it’s possible they were also employing the devices for their intended purpose—to ward off other birds.
The article says the birds make different nest configurations, with one incorporating a softer cup layer on top of the spiky layer made with the spikes and another configuration using the spikes as part of a dome on top of the nest.
It would be interesting to determine whether the serum cortisol differs between those living in spoke nests versus those without.
My assumption is that it is indeed elevated, as the “residents” are constantly mindful of their movements (and therefore more stressed) to avoid being poked.
My take is its less so about being physically comfortable, but there is a different type of comfort by the protection of the nest from predators. It's like being uncomfortable to have peace of bird mind, in other words.
