Striped Honeyeater nest constructed from fine dry grass, covered and decorated with Emu feathers 11.2 x 27.0 x 19.0 cm. Specimen courtesy of Museum Victoria. Photo by David Sheehy
Striped Honeyeater nest constructed from fine dry grass, covered and decorated with Emu feathers 11.2 x 27.0 x 19.0 cm. Specimen courtesy of Museum Victoria. Photo by David Sheehy

NEST: The art of birds

23 June –
6 October 2013

What are nests if not art created by nature? Guest curator Dr Janine Burke has devised an exhibition which explores the beauty, ingenuity and originality of birds’ nests – from magpies to honeyeaters, from chaffinches to parrots, from hummingbirds to African weavers.

Presenting over 70 nests sourced from the collection of Museum Victoria and fro the private collection of Gay Bilson, these exquisite constructions reveal the lives and habits of our closest wild neighbours. They tell the story of birds’ survival and adaptation to our ecologically fragile planet.

NEST displays the architectural skill of birds, their consummate ability to make work that is both delicate and durable, as well as the astonishing array of materials they use. This exhibition invites audiences to connect with nature in a new way – observe nests in all their resourcefulness, diversity and elegance.

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