Bird nests can be complex bio-engineered structures constructed from a range of materials to provide a site for incubation, and in many species chick rearing. Reports of the materials used in nest walls and cup linings are typically qualitative and do not assist in understanding the functional properties of the structure as a whole. This paper provides size and composition data for nests from four species of the Motacillidae family: the meadow pipit (Anthus pratensis), pied wagtail (Motacilla alba), grey wagtail (Motacilla cinerea), and the yellow wagtail (Motacilla flava), three species of the Sylviidae family: willow warbler (Phylloscopus trochilus), Eurasian reed warbler (Acrocephalus scirpaceus) and Eurasian blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla), and the dunnock (Prunella modularis) of the Prunellidae family. Three hypotheses were tested: do nest dimensions correlate with body mass? Is it possible to distinguish among species based on their nest composition; and for individual species? Is it possible to distinguish between the cup lining and outer nest wall based on the materials used in construction? Nest composition and size varied among species although the degree of intra-specific variation was different. Size of a nest was unrelated to average female adult body mass. Composition relied on similar types of materials but in differing quantities between species. It was possible to distinguish among species in terms of nest construction, and between the cup lining and the outer nest, on the basis of at least one of the component materials. By providing quantitative data on composition, it may be possible in the future to understand better the structural, insulative and hydrological properties of the nest. Such information will be invaluable as we begin to develop an understanding of the factors that have driven evolution of nest architecture.

鸟巢可以是复杂的生物工程结构，由一系列材料构成，为孵化和许多物种的雏鸡饲养提供场所。巢壁和杯子衬里所用材料的报告通常是定性的，无助于理解整个结构的功能特性。本文提供了 Motacillidae 家族四个物种的巢的大小和组成数据：草地鹡鸰 ( Anthus pratensis )、花斑鹡鸰 ( Motacilla alba )、灰鹡鸰 ( Motacilla cinerea ) 和黄鹡鸰 ( Motacilla flava )，三个物种林莺科：柳莺（Phylloscopus trochilus）、欧亚苇莺（Acrocephalus scirpaceus ) 和欧亚黑头 ( Sylvia atricapilla ) 和 dunnock (夏枯草) Prunellidae 家族。测试了三个假设：巢大小与体重相关吗？是否可以根据巢的组成来区分物种；对于个别物种？是否可以根据施工中使用的材料来区分杯衬和外巢壁？尽管种内变异的程度不同，但巢的组成和大小因物种而异。巢的大小与成年女性的平均体重无关。成分依赖于相似类型的材料，但物种之间的数量不同。根据至少一种成分材料，可以在巢结构方面以及杯衬和外巢之间区分物种。通过提供成分的定量数据，将来有可能更好地了解巢穴的结构、绝缘和水文特性。当我们开始了解驱动巢式架构演变的因素时，这些信息将是无价的。