do bluebirds ever abandon nest?

aloemem

12 years ago

I have 5 eggs in my nest. I haven't seen the female or male for a day. Do they abandon nest with eggs in it?

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Comments (3)

sagrinin
12 years ago
I have had that happen to me twice...give it a few more days. In my case, the eggs were not viable.
dzyg
12 years ago
They can but once the female starts incubating you don't see them very often. You may just be missing them. What you could do is very carefully take a sharpie and mark a small dot on one of the eggs and then check the next day to see if the mark has moved. The eggs are turned during incubation so the dot should not stay in the same place. Even if the dot doesn't move though give the eggs the proper 14+ days to hatch, so count from the day the last egg was laid and then at least 14 days from that date to decide if the eggs aren't viable anymore. I have had a male go missing when the female was incubating, he was gone for four days but she as still there. Good luck, hope you are just missing seeing them.
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I HAVE BABIES! I just got back a few minutes ago from being gone several days. Went right out to check the box, and just as I got there mom came flying up. My heart leapt! I peeked in very quickly, just long enough to see some fluff; didn't want to take the time to count. (It's a deep nest and I have to use a little dental mirror to even see down inside it.) Any luck w/ you yet sagrinin? Thanx again to everyone for your encouragement and reassurance!
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Judy, I would observe the box for a couple hours at a time and make sure you know if anyone is showing up. Also, you can place an obstruction like a blade of grass in the hole, and if it's gone you may have activity. Make sure the wind can't also remove it. It's hard to say exactly what happened to the mother. Hawks, owls, pesticides, car accidents, etc. All possibilities. Unless you find a body, you might never know. I've had several parents go disappearing and I know the sad feeling and thought about what may have happened. I've lost several female bluebirds, and just this year, my first couple male bluebirds. It's a tough world they endure. If they're truly abandoned, try to find the number of a local wildlife rehabber and give them a call. You should look into this BEFORE an emergency occurs. Its good that you're feeding, but don't force feed them! ~Tim~ Here is a link that might be useful: Bluebird Widows, Widowers and Orphans
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I don't know if mine is abandoned or not. The female is not sitting on thim. The male keeps coming back, frantically entering and leaving. I looked in the nest and there were no eggs so I took it down to clean out. When I removed the nest, there were 2 eggs, one cracked. When I oopened it, there was no baby. They have been sitting on the site for about 14 days. What should I do with the other egg? I put it and the nest back in the box? Was that the right thing to do?
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Mom has not abandon it if it is a healthy bird. It is not unusual for a baby to need and extra day. You can read up on Blues at www.sialis.org Have you peeked in the box to be sure it's not stuck in something? Call a rehabber first thing and get instructions on what to do if a parent does not return tomorrow. I have one that fledged today, 3 are still in the box. Mom has not been back this evening but I know she will be in the AM. I am one that will do everything I can even if it's stretching the law a bit when it comes to saving babies. I have been know to bring them in (in the nest) and feed them when I knew they were starving (done with a rehabbers instructions). I am not suggesting you do this , just letting you know there are things you can do other than just let it die. HOWEVER I bet Mom is there bright and early! Let us know!
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tmann05
12 years ago
I would like to invite you to join the bluebird nut cafe forum. It is much more active than this site and we have many veteran bluebirders that can give quick answers. Check us out!

http://bluebirdnutcafe.yuku.com/

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do bluebirds ever abandon nest?

Comments (3)

sagrinin

dzyg

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