@inbook{10.2307/j.ctt7zvc5n.17, URL = {http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt7zvc5n.17}, abstract = {There have been very few systematic and experimental studies of the development of nest-building ability in young birds. Nest building by weaverbirds has been considered a classical example of ʺinstinct,ʺ but we found that a weaverbird must practice a great deal before it can build its complex nest. We carried out the experiments that are summarized below in a colony of captive Village Weavers of the West African race (Ploceus c. cucullatus) (E. Collias and Collias 1964, 1973). We have also described the breeding behavior of this West African subspecies in its natural habitat (N. Collias and Collias.The young}, bookauthor = {NICHOLAS Ε. COLLIAS and ELSIE C. COLLIAS}, booktitle = {Nest Building and Bird Behavior}, pages = {211--224}, publisher = {Princeton University Press}, title = {The Development of Nest-building Ability}, year = {1984} }