SSA Brain and behaviour in bird nest building

燕窝在鸟类繁殖中起着关键作用。它们充当卵的容器，提供潜在的保护，免受捕食者的侵害，同时帮助父母创造一个最适合孵化和饲养的小气候。筑巢的方式是为了保护卵和幼崽免受周围环境的影响，无论是寒冷、风还是太阳辐射。研究表明，物种根据所经历的环境条件建立略有不同的巢，但很少有人研究个体是否能适应气候变化的筑巢方式。我将使用斑马雀作为我的研究物种，研究鸟类的身体认知和筑巢。我将调查斑马雀在经历不同的气候时是否会选择不同的材料来筑巢，以及如果它们成功育儿是否会改变它们的材料偏好。然后，我会看看材料偏好是否会随着气候的变化而变化，比如从以前的炎热繁殖季节到寒冷的繁殖季节。然后，我将致力于确定大脑的哪些部分负责任何潜在的筑巢适应和一般筑巢行为。

Birds' nests play a key role in avian reproduction. They act as a container for eggs and offer potential protection from predators, while aiding parents to create a microclimate that is optimal for incubation and rearing. Nests are built in a way that protects eggs and young from the surrounding environment, be it the cold, wind or solar radiation. Research has shown species build slightly difference nests depending on what environmental conditions they experience but little work has been done to see if individuals can adapt the way they build nests in response to a changing climate. I will be researching physical cognition and nest building in birds, using zebra finches as my study species. I will investigate whether zebra finches will select different materials for their nests when they experience different climates, and whether their material preference will change if they raise young successfully or not. I will then look to see if material preference changes as the climate changes, from example a hot previous breeding season to a cold breeding season. I will then be aiming to identify what sections of the brain are responsible for any potential nest building adaptations and general nest building behaviour.