HELP! Dead Nestlings?

12 years ago

I'll try to make this short. I've been hosting bluebirds for several years now and consider myself somewhat experienced, but I'm not sure what to do in this case.

I have a box of 5 babies. I'm not exactly sure how old they are as I didn't record their hatch date, but I've been monitoring the next regularly and stopped when I thought they were about 13 days old based on pictures from the Sialis Web site. That would make them somewhere around 16-18 days old today--they've been peeking at the hole, and I know that usually means they are only days away from fledging.

Their mother disappeared about a week ago, but the father has been very attentive. I think they were being fed more often by him than they were being fed when they had two parents. This time of year, bugs are in abundance, and I've observed that he's had to do very little work to catch their meals, often dropping right by the box and catching a good-sized bug or grub.

The babies have seemed healthy because I can hear them cheeping loudly when he feeds. Yesterday, I walked past the box and noticed flies on the roof of it. I walked closer and saw three, little heads, dart back into the box. So I know as of yesterday three were still alive. But as I approached the box, I could smell something dead. I was hoping that they would fledge in the afternoon or this morning, but I just checked and at least one is still in there. I can see one head moving. I'm still seeing some flies buzzing around the front of the box, and I can still smell something dead when I walk close.

I feel like I really need to open the box and clean out the dead nestling or nestlings to save the one or more that are still alive, but I don't know how to do that without the remaining babies hopping out into the tall brome field that is just across from their box. I'm not sure if that should even be a concern of mine at this point. They might fly out rather than hop out. I really think they're that close to feldging.

Does anyone have experience with an emergency nest clean-out with older nestlings? Thanks so much!

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Comments (6)

bandjzmom
12 years ago
Oh wow. This is a tough one. I also have many years of Bluebirding under my belt, and I would hesitate here too. I did check the Sialis (Bluebirding Bible for me) site, and there is a whole page devoted to this issue. (see below) I personally feel that you have to check the box. Chances are, they will jump. Read over this page from sialis and decide for yourself what to do. The info seems to indicate to me that you have sufficient reason to open the box. The babies are technically "ready" to be out, so even if they jump and won't stay in if you put them back, perhaps dad will just move on with their training and care. I wouldn't want to risk having the whole lot of them die. JMHO,and HTH. Keep us posted on what happens.~~Angie

Here is a link that might be useful: Premature Fledge Issues/ Sialis
highprairie
Original Author
12 years ago
Angie,

Thanks so much! I'll tell you what I did in case anyone else ever needs to check the welfare of older nestlings. After my initial post, I went back out to look at the box to come up with some kind of strategy. When I saw a shiny, green fly near the hole, I knew I had to do something and fast!

I got a deep bucket, a shallow dishpan, a wash rag, and two towels. I quietly approached the house from behind and plugged the hole with the wash rag. I then removed the entire house from the pole. I put the house down in the bucket and covered it with one of the towels. I set the dish pan right next to the bucket and covered it with the other towel. I pulled back the towel on the bucket just enough so that I could get my arm down to the box and also put my face down to the edge so I could see what I was doing. I tried not to leave any other openings and hoped that if they came flying or hopping out of the box, they'd land on the floor of the bucket or would hit my arm and face. I slowly opened the door (front opening box), and found three nestlings cowering inside. The smell was AWFUL, but at that point I couldn't see any actual signs of anything dead in there. I removed the nestlings one-by-one, examined them, and put them in the covered dish pan. They all seemed strong, were fully feathered, had stubby tails, and no longer had any sheathing on their feathers. All of their bellies were extremely messy from being down in the nasty mess of a nest, but other than that they looked good. I could hear them hopping and cheeping in the dishpan as I worked. I could see the remains of one nestling in the nest. The other one has either fledged or decomposed to the point that it wasn't recognizable. All five seemed healthy last Sunday morning, but it's been hot here so I guess it didn't take long for them to decompose to that point. I pulled out the old nest and replaced it with fresh grass that I pulled from the yard. I then reached my hand in the dish pan, under the towel, and picked up and replaced each nestling to the nest box, which was still down in the bucket. During this process, one did jump out of the house but landed on the floor of the bucket. Again, I tried to keep the bucket mostly covered with a towel so that they couldn't escape into the yard. Once I replaced all three, I closed the box and plugged the hole with the rag. I put the house back on the pole and waited five minutes or so before slowly and quietly removing the rag. I then moved off and watched to make sure none of them came out of the box. They stayed put, and within 10 minutes their dad was feeding them again. I know the box will still have some residual smell and that worries me. The pole is baffled, but I believe that a determined coon can get past that. I'm hoping that won't happen and that they'll fledge very soon. Once they leave, I will thoroughly wash the box and let it dry before replacing it. I'm hoping the male will find another mate and try again.
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kendra2003
12 years ago
Highprarie, I saw your original question, but I had no idea how to answer it. Your solution was just brilliant! Thank you so much for posting what you did and the outcome. It may just help someone else who runs into such a situation. You may have helped a lot more than just those three babies.
lisa11310
12 years ago
Great work! Thank you for the detailed information!
bandjzmom
12 years ago
Fantastic work there!! Good for you, and way to go!!! Poor things. Can you imagine being in there with your dead and decomposing siblings. Oh gosh. You are a HERO!!!
compost_hugger_nancy
12 years ago
Awww. Perfect solution and careful attention to safety and health of remaining "toddlers" in box. Way to go!!!

HELP! Dead Nestlings?

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HELP! Dead Nestlings?

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