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These are not nests, and those are not eggs… it’s a fungi!

Say hello to the Birds Nest Fungi, a tiny but very important part of our ecosystems.

Birds Nest Fungi recently caught my attention for having quite the unique adaptation, as they send their ‘eggs’ flying, long before they hatch!

Those ‘eggs’ are called peridioles, which are packets full of spores. The ‘nest’ that these eggs reside in is called a peridia, also known as a splash cup. This is where the Birds Nest Fungi’s unique adaptation comes into play.

Birds Nest Fungi rely on the help from drops of water to spread their spores. When a droplet hits the splash cup just right, it sends the eggs flying, spreading the spores wherever they land.

Much like what people most commonly think of when they think of fungi, Birds Nest Fungi are Saprobic, which simply means they feed off of decomposing matter.

There are over 30 known species of Birds Nest Fungi, which all fall under the Nidulariaceae family. This family is further divided into five different genera: Crucibulum, Cyathus, Mycocalia, Nidula, and Nidularia.