Field Bird's Nest - Cyathus olla

Description

The cup is bell-shaped with a flaring rim and smooth grey inner side and grey-brown outer side covered in fine hairs.  Initially the cup is covered by a downy yellowish membrane that falls away when the spores are mature.   The peridiole ('eggs') are grey, darkening as they mature 

Similar Species

Other Bird'-nest fungi. e.g.. Cyathus striatus has a fluted cup; C stercoreus has very dark 'eggs' and a cup covered in long stiff hairs; Crucibulum laeve has whitish 'eggs' and a downy outer side to the cup.

Identification difficulty
Habitat

Twigs and woodchip, etc. (and in coastal area, Marram grass.)

When to see it

May to November.

VC55 Status

Status in Leicestershire and Rutland not known.

Leicestershire & Rutland Map

MAP KEY:

Yellow squares = NBN records (all known data)
Coloured circles = NatureSpot records: 2025+ | 2020-2024 | pre-2020

UK Map

Species profile

Common names
Field Bird's Nest
Species group:
fungus
Kingdom:
Fungi
Order:
Agaricales
Family:
Agaricaceae
Records on NatureSpot:
4
First record:
06/08/2013 (Ruth Dring)
Last record:
13/11/2025 (Primrose, Lindsay)

Total records by month

% of records within its species group

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