The Italian ecologist knew the trash hung from the nests of a certain bird, the black kite. But why? Many species of birds decorate their nests to attract a mate—but kites already have partners ...

Each year, these birds typically build new, bowl-shaped nests using leaves, rushes and reeds. But, while nesting in cities, they often supplement these natural, biodegradable materials with man ...

Plastic waste has let common coots reuse nests year after year. Scientists have now used the trash layers to date how old nests are.