Estudo de uma construção natural: o ninho do joão-de-barro (Furnarius rufus)

Abstract

The ovenbird (Furnarius rufus) is one of the most common species of birds of Brazil and builds its nest shaped oven, divided into two compartments, using as base material the clay. Sick (1984), suggests that the orientation of the opening of the ovenbird nests that would be directed in opposite directions from the position of incidence of winds and rains. To investigate this pattern construction in a certain location and orientation, seventy-one nests Furnarius rufus were randomly analyzed in ten districts of the urban area and the Metropolitan Region of Curitiba. Of these, a nest was removed for chemical, mineralogical and textural analysis for their characterization, and thermal analysis, with measurements of internal temperature. During the period of January and February 2014, a digital thermometer was placed inside the nest and the other in the external environment, properly protected from direct sunlight and rain in a naturally ventilated shelter. Studies of the data collected revealed that the opening of nests reflected a standard orientation. The results also suggest that the architecture and nest building material, the microclimate inside the nest or a combination of these factors may serve as an example suitable to the local climate natural building.