Fungus
Common Bird's Nest Fungus
Crucibulum laeveAlso known as White-Egg Bird's Nest, Common Splash Cup
Common bird's nest fungi form miniature cup-like fruiting bodies that resemble tiny nests packed with greyish spore packets called peridioles. Falling raindrops strike the angled splash cups, propelling the spore capsules up to several feet onto nearby vegetation. Sticky adhesive threads anchor the dispersed peridioles firmly to plants, allowing spores to spread as the capsules weather or pass through foraging herbivores.
TinySaprobicFungus
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Diet & preyDecaying wood, Lignin, Cellulose
Predators
- Slugs
- Beetles
- Insects
ThreatsNone identified
HabitatsWoodchips, garden mulch, decaying bark, twig litter
Life spanFruiting bodies persist for weeks to months
Classification
- OrderAgaricales
- FamilyNidulariaceae
- GenusCrucibulum
- SpeciesCrucibulum laeve
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Many wild fungi have toxic look-alikes; never eat wild mushrooms based on app identification alone.
Responsible observation
- Look Closely: Search damp garden mulch, woodchips, and fallen twigs during late summer and autumn.
- Observe Splash Mechanism: Notice how the angled walls direct falling raindrops outward to launch spore capsules.
Close Relative (c) Jerry Cooper, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Jerry Cooper · cc-by
Close Relative (c) Don Loarie, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Ecological Relative (c) Douglas Goldman, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Douglas Goldman · cc-by-sa
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