Dung-loving Bird's Nest Fungus
Cyathus stercoreus
Cyathus stercoreus, commonly known as the dung-loving bird's nest or the dung bird's nest, is a species of fungus in the genus Cyathus, family Nidulariaceae. Like other species in the Nidulariaceae, the fruiting bodies of C.
Photo: iNaturalist: (c) Don Loarie, some rights reserved (CC BY)
Taxonomy & Classification
Kingdom
Fungi
Phylum
Basidiomycota
Class
Agaricomycetes
Order
Agaricales
Family
Agaricaceae
Genus
Cyathus
Dung-loving Bird's Nest Fungus belongs to the family Agaricaceae, order Agaricales, within the Agaricomycetes class.
Species Profile
Cyathus stercoreus, commonly known as the dung-loving bird's nest or the dung bird's nest, is a species of fungus in the genus Cyathus, family Nidulariaceae. Like other species in the Nidulariaceae, the fruiting bodies of C. stercoreus resemble tiny bird's nests filled with eggs. The fruiting bodies are referred to as splash cups, because they are developed to use the force of falling drops of water to dislodge and disperse their spores. The species has a worldwide distribution, and prefers growing on dung, or soil containing dung; the specific epithet is derived from the Latin word stercorarius, meaning "of dung".
The Dung-loving Bird's Nest Fungus faces severe decline primarily due to habitat loss from agricultural intensification and reduced availability of its specialized substrate - animal dung - as traditional grazing practices disappear. Modern farming practices, including widespread use of anthelmintic drugs in livestock that persist in dung and inhibit fungal growth, have further reduced suitable breeding sites for this highly specialized saprophytic species.
Key Facts
Habitat & Distribution
Being coprophilous, C. stercoreus grows on dung, in soil with dung, and bonfire sites; it has also been recorded growing on sand dunes.
Threats
IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered
The Dung-loving Bird's Nest Fungus faces severe decline primarily due to habitat loss from agricultural intensification and reduced availability of its specialized substrate - animal dung - as traditional grazing practices disappear. Modern farming practices, including widespread use of anthelmintic drugs in livestock that persist in dung and inhibit fungal growth, have further reduced suitable breeding sites for this highly specialized saprophytic species.
Agricultural intensification and habitat conversion
Decline in traditional grazing practices
Veterinary drug contamination in livestock dung
Climate change affecting substrate availability
Loss of semi-natural grassland ecosystems
Community Sightings
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Sources & Attribution
How to Cite
IUCN: IUCN (2025). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2025-1. Available at: https://www.iucnredlist.org. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2025-1.RLTS
GBIF: GBIF.org (2025). GBIF Home Page. Available at: https://www.gbif.org
This page: SpeciesRadar (2025). Dung-loving Bird's Nest Fungus (Cyathus stercoreus). SpeciesRadar: Intelligence for Earth's Biodiversity. Available at: https://speciesradar.org/species/dung-loving-birds-nest-fungus