The Atlas Obscura Podcast · Tuesday, September 1, 2026
The unique nesting habits of burrowing parrots in Patagonia, where they dig deep into sandstone cliffs, provide a crucial adaptation against the environment. These nests, which can be up to three meters deep, protect the birds from the constant crumbling and falling of cliff faces.
“This sandstone cliff, what it is called a receding pieces of it are falling down all the time. And if you have a very deep nest, yeah, with a very long channel conducting to the nest chamber, well, that's an advantage.”
“It takes about two years to dig their burrows. Their burrows can be something like three meters deep.”