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Should I evict my Carolina wren?

15 years ago

I have 3 BB houses on my property. Two have nesting BB families. The third had a chickadee nest with no eggs, now, an (identified) Carolina wren is building a nest on top of the chickadee nest. Should I leave them be, tear the CW nest out, or tear both of them out? Thanks.

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Comments (4)

bbcathy
15 years ago
Are you sure it's a Carolina not a House wren? Is the bird adding twigs or is it grass/leaves on top of the Dee nest? It is illegal to take out a nest with a cup unless it is house sparrows or starlings.
Cathy
byrdlady
Original Author
15 years ago
Yes, it is definitely a CW and not a house wren.
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You can go ahead and clean out that nest from the birdhouse. It's probably pretty nasty and if they decide to build there again, the nest will be too high as well. Whenever they build in a birdhouse, I clean it out once the young have fledged.
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These little cutie pies are one of my favs! I've had them nesting around my house for several years, and they are well known for nesting in very unusual places! A friend of mine had them nesting in a football helmet on a shelf in her garage! I find it best not to peek at them at all, but you can observe from short distance. As long as the parents are going in and out, everything should be OK. As fledging draws near, don't be alarmed if the parents are not frequenting the nest as often as they did when the babies were young. I was fortunate to see a group fledge last year, but this year, they fledged when I was not at home! They are such fun little birds to watch!
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If the young have already fledged, the eggs left behind are infertile. If she couldn't hatch them, they are not viable eggs. Since you said the young have left the nest, you can throw out the nest and the eggs.
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Carolina Wren update: Mommy Wren did return and there are a total of 4 eggs. I've been using the kitchen door with occasional use of the front door. This little lady is not afraid of me at all. I will softly talk to her, when I do go out that door, and I see no fear or nervousness in her eyes. I am anticipating babies any day now. This wren couple has been here since I moved in 4+ years ago. This will be my 5th Spring with them. The wheel well above my car's front tire has always been a spot they've picked for a potential nest. Its been a bit of a game with us. Every morning I would go out and remove the nest. By the time I woke up the next morning another would be in its place. Last Spring they chose a nest they built in a small storage shed by the kitchen door. Unfortunately, a snake got the eggs within 3 days. The Christmas Cactus that she is nesting in is one of a pair. They are equal distance from the edge of the wooden plant stand they are on. The stand is 3 ft high. They chose to build in the plant that is closest to the door. There had to be a reason for that. Thank you for all of your help.
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mulchmamma
15 years ago
If no cup in the CARW nest, I would take out the nest and put on an 1 1/4" reducer. The dees can even handle a 1 1/8" reducer.

CARWS can nest anywhere, the dees are more specific. You could try a more shallow box with a slot opening and place it in a protected spot near your house. My CARWS seem to prefer these boxes in sheltered areas.
bluebars
15 years ago
It is just natural competition. Carolina wrens are harmless native birds, not invasive imports! It is illegal to disturb their nest. If the Carolinas are building, then the chickadees have already moved on.
Anyway, I think they can enter with a 1&1/8-inch reducer.
Why not put up another house? Maybe the chickadees will try again. I would be THRILLED to host either one or both.
BlueBars

Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.sialis.org/nestboxguide.htm

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