Editing Nest (section)

===Purposes of nesting===
====Structural purposes====
Nest building (nidification) is often driven by a biological urge in [[pregnant]] animals to protect one's offspring known as the [[nesting instinct]].  Animals build nests to protect their [[egg (biology)|eggs]], their offspring, or themselves from danger. The simplest nest structures are adapted to hide eggs from [[predator]]s, shield them from the sun or other environmental factors, or simply keep them from being scattered in [[ocean currents]]. In some cases, nests also help provide [[safety in numbers]] for egg-laying animals.<ref name=SDNMH>{{cite web|title=Nests and Nest-building Animals|author=Tom Deméré|author2=Bradford D. Hollingsworth|publisher=San Diego Natural History Museum|date=Spring 2002|url=http://www.sdnhm.org/archive/research/herpetology/NestBuilding.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://www.sdnhm.org/archive/research/herpetology/NestBuilding.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live|access-date=August 19, 2013}}</ref>

[[File:Pandion haliaetus -Belize -building nest-8.jpg|thumb|left|A pair of [[osprey]]s building a nest.]]

====Social purposes====
Many nest builders provide parental care to their young, while others simply lay their eggs and leave. [[Brooding]] (incubating eggs by sitting on them) is common among birds. In general, nest complexity increases in relation to the level of parental care provided.<ref name=SDNMH />  Nest building reinforces social behavior, allowing for larger populations in small spaces to the point of increasing the [[carrying capacity]] of an environment.  Insects that exhibit the most complex nidification also exhibit the greatest social structure.  Among mammals, the [[naked mole-rat]] displays a [[Caste (biology)|caste]] structure similar to the [[social insects]] while building extensive [[burrow]]s that house hundreds of individuals.<ref name=Hansell />