About this fungus
Dung-loving Bird's-nest is a fungus in the Agaricaceae family. Its habitat and field characteristics are summarised below.
A minute shaggy cup containing dark flattened packets that resemble eggs in a nest. Mature cups have a smooth, dark inner wall rather than the strong vertical grooves of the Fluted Bird's Nest.
What to check
Use a hand lens to compare both cup surfaces. The outside is coarsely hairy, the inside is smooth, and the dark peridioles are attached by fine cords. Check the dung-rich or strongly decayed organic substrate. There is no stem, cap, ring or volva.
Lookalikes
Cyathus striatus has a conspicuously fluted inner cup. Cyathus olla has a smoother, greyer exterior and paler peridioles. Old, empty cups lose their most useful features, and close bird's-nest fungi can require microscopy.
Habitat and range
Saprotrophic on herbivore dung, dung-enriched soil, rotting straw, woodchip and other well-decayed plant material. It is widely distributed, especially in warm and temperate places, and can occur in gardens, farms and natural habitats.
Food safety
Inedible.