By L. Gurr, Department of Zoology, University of Otago.
Nesting, because it is one of the most conspicuous aspects of bird behaviour, has received attention from the very earliest days of bird watching, and a good deal of literature is available on the subject. The information about nesting behaviour which is wanting, however, is of the type of observation that is continuous for twenty-four hours in the day. No individual would be capable of sustaining a watch of this type on any nest for any length of time, and accuracy on any sustained effort of this nature would suffer, due to fatigue on the part of the observer. R. E. Moreau(4) working on the nesting activities of the White Rumped Swift in Africa, came very near to a solution of the problem by employing relays of African observers to watch the nest and record the comings and goings of the birds. This type of observation is effective during daylight only, and thus has its limitations.
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