"The choice of nesting material by birds is limited by both mechanical and functional constraints. Even so, most habitats afford a wide range of appropriate materials for use by builders of open-cup nests. The length of time a nest lasts depends not only on how it is built and the environmental conditions to which it is exposed, but also on which materials are used in its construction. For example, soil-based nests produced by several turdid species disintegrate soon after use, while nests built entirely of plant fibres by some fringillids may remain intact for between 2 and 3 years, even though they do not maintain or re-use them. Because of this, the latter species have the potential to accumulate several old nests in territories used year after year. The purpose of the present study was to explore this phenomenon as a possible protection mechanism against search-strategy predators..."