Generally they place it on a limb of a large tree. There it looks
so much like a knot that it takes sharp eyes to find a humming-bird's
nest.
The great crested flycatcher places his nest in a hollow limb and though
he seems to care very little about its appearance he has, nevertheless,
an idea of his own about decoration and evidently thinks no nest is
complete without a bit of cast-off snake skin.
Just why he should want to have such a thing in his home no one can say.
Some naturalists believe that he uses it as a scarecrow to frighten his
enemies away. But I do not think he could give a reason if he were
asked.
Birds build the same kind of nests their parents built, without asking
the reason why.
The chipping sparrow always lines its nest with hairs, the crane uses
cedar bark, the robin mud, the vireos often place a bit of wasps' nest
in their bag-like nests; but no one has ever tried to explain why they
should always employ these particular things.
The oriole is a master weaver. Have you ever seen his cradle swaying
from an elm branch? It is so well made that it often lasts through the
winter.
It is usually made of long grass fibres. If the birds can find strings
or worsted, they are glad to use them, but they sometimes get their
claws caught in the string, and are not able to free themselves, so it
is better for them to use other material.
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