Chimps seem to check the overnight weather before building their nest

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2026-04-29 01:00

Australia; WA

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Chimpanzees seem to anticipate what the weather will be like overnight when building their nests, according to Aussie researchers, who investigated the nest-building behaviour of eastern chimpanzees to see if they make predictions about the weather overnight or simply build to the current conditions. Chimpanzees construct new nests each evening when preparing to sleep, and the nests are important for protecting them against the weather overnight. The team used measurements of temperature, humidity, wind speed, and rainfall at the time of nest construction and during the subsequent overnight period, and modelled how changing weather factors influenced the nesting behaviour. Chimpanzees preferred to construct nests in warmer, less windy microclimates, built thicker and deeper nests under cooler or wetter conditions, and selected taller trees with denser canopy cover before rainy nights. The team say their findings suggest that chimpanzees adjust their nest-building behaviour in relation to their expected overnight conditions rather than current conditions, but it is not conclusive evidence of anticipatory decision-making.