Case of a Wren Troglodytes troglodytes breeding in the corpse of a Goshawk Accipiter gentilis

A last year’s Wren Troglodytes troglodytes nest
placed in a mummified body of an adult Goshawk
Accipiter gentilis was found on 27.03.2020
in Żernica, Upper Silesia (southern Poland).  e
corpse was suspended firmly between the branches
of a tree at the height of ca 2m. Wrens show
a marked ingenuity with regard to the nest site
selection. It is most often placed between the
roots of uprooted trees, in overhanging parts of
gullies and stream banks, in bushes, trees, heaps
of twigs, in buildings or even old nests of other
birds (e.g. hirundines). It seems that the choice
depends on the local niche availability. The Goshawk
corpse hanging from a tree was probably
the most suitable nesting location in the territory
of the described Wren in Żernica.