A glimpse into the minds of birds
July 16, 2017 9:57 AM   Subscribe

House finches in Mexico City have discovered that used cigarette butts can serve as an effective insecticide against fleas and ticks in their nests.. There is experimental evidence that their insecticide use is intentional. Unfortunately it comes with genotoxic side effects. posted by heatherlogan (10 comments total) 22 users marked this as a favorite
 
When I attended UNM, the Zyale Park birds made nests lined with cigarette filters.
posted by Katjusa Roquette at 11:03 AM on July 16, 2017 [1 favorite]


Around here, a lot of squirrels line their nests with what appears to be the polyester fiber stuffing out of people's patio furniture.
posted by Sys Rq at 11:35 AM on July 16, 2017


Here in NYC I saw a window sill bird's nest made out of coffee stirrers.
posted by StickyCarpet at 12:42 PM on July 16, 2017 [9 favorites]


My partner cuts my hair with a sheet draped over me, then shakes the sheet out on the front porch and sweeps it up later.

This Spring, when she was clearing off the porch in preparation for a porch-deck rebuild, she found a bird's nest tucked up among the rafters and completely out of sight made of twigs on the outside and lined with my hair on the inside.
posted by jamjam at 12:57 PM on July 16, 2017 [29 favorites]


I cannot decide if your story is innocently cute, jamjam, or if you have a creepy bird stalker.
posted by rokusan at 12:59 PM on July 16, 2017 [27 favorites]


My hair is bright silver, and that contrast with the black twigs gave the whole thing a definite wicker man like undertone -- but it was still pretty cute.
posted by jamjam at 1:12 PM on July 16, 2017 [11 favorites]


MetaFilter: Unfortunately it comes with genotoxic side effects
posted by schmod at 1:43 PM on July 16, 2017 [5 favorites]


Careful jamjam: there's now a generation of birds accustomed to nesting in your hair.
posted by LarsC at 1:58 PM on July 16, 2017 [18 favorites]


Metafilter: a definite wicker man like undertone -- but still pretty cute.
posted by RedOrGreen at 8:47 PM on July 16, 2017 [2 favorites]


i saw a jackdaw in the garden breaking a snail's shell on a stone, or trying anyway, a trick learned from thrushes and i've never met another person who's seen this
posted by maiamaia at 2:17 PM on July 18, 2017 [1 favorite]


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