skip to main content

Advice needed, cowbird egg

13 years ago

I did my weekly check on the chickadee box and was proud to finally see eggs but not happy to see the cowbird egg. I haven't had this happen before. What should I do with it? If it hatches surely the chickadee babies will die, yet the cowbird is a native species. Wish I had a HOSP nest to transfer it to. I found a good video on cowbirds below. I wonder if reducing the hole size will help keep the cowbird out if it decides to come back? How can I put a hole reducer on a gilbertson box? It would have to be 1 1/4" for chickadees correct?

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/nature/gangster-birds.html

This post was edited by tmann05 on Wed, May 1, 13 at 17:10

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (10)

lisa11310
13 years ago
I would get a hole reducer on and get rid of the egg. I know they are protected, but there are plenty of them and I am sure that is not the only egg the Cowbird has laid. 1Cowbird vs 5 or more Dees?
dzyg
13 years ago
I too would get rid of the egg and get a reducer on. 1 1/8 is good for Dees and would prevent the cowbird from getting back in.
Related Discussions
Need Advice on Geese laying eggs
Q
Comments (4)
I raise swans,this is how I do it,I lay nesting material 3 places that Id like them to use.They pick the one they want,once they make a nest remove other piles.Once to protect her and eggs we put chicken wire to surround her from 3 sides along water so nothing could get in from land.It worked.
...See More
cowbird egg in chipping sparrow nest
Q
Comments (10)
Why would you want to let it survive just so it could go on to do the same thing in another birds nest? I would throw it out but you do what you want. Waiting for hatching could still mean death to the others if you don't see that it has hatched right away, it will always get the food whereas the others won't and will die. I am sure you will get other advice but I guess you can do what you want to do. Donna
...See More
cowbird and not a cardinal nestling? need id help..
Q
Comments (3)
It's a baby cardinal! And it just finally left the artificial ficus while it's parents called to it from a nearby tree! It's little "mohawk" is in, and the colors are that of a baby cardinal and not a cowbird. It just was very reluctant to leave the nest. Yesterday, it began to crawl out further onto the branches of the ficus, chip-chipping and a parent would answer back. The parents have spent so much time with this particular fledgling...I have to wonder about the safety of the other two. They're still out there. The male comes flying out from under our window shrubs when blackbirds are in the front yard and issues his "alert." What a relief...but now, that little chipmunk from next door! I started tossing seed balls into their own shrubbery to keep the chipmunk away and am using live mealworms and safflower. Might have to take down the suet, since the cowheads/blackbirds seem to like it far too much and come into territory where the fledglings are hiding. I read they will fly within 20 days. It's now 14 days since I first noticed the birds were hatched. They could have hatched before I saw them. So when should they begin to fly? I know the parents do stay with them and "train" them.. But that chipmunk! Thank you all for responding to my "cardinal adventure." What a lovely song they sing. : ) ...And I just watched the little guy hop off with both parents very near. I don't hear them now. Just so they're all safe!
...See More
Song Sparrow feeding Cowbird?
Q
Comments (12)
As you can see the cowbird baby is as innocent and dependant as the other babies. It has no idea that it has caused harm. By this point it is to late to do anything. Please keep an eye out for these eggs. This baby takes up 1/2 of the nest, there were 5 eggs when I first looked. This means 2 eggs were tossed. This is just a sad thing,luckily all 4 of these babies fledged, most nests are not so lucky. I was able to monitor this nest and knew all the babies were getting fed. Please dont let these eggs hatch. Nobody wants to harm a baby bird, I sure couldn't but seeing how these babies grow you may decide it's not so bad to render the egg "non vialable", there will be plenty of cowbird eggs in nests you cant see, I have a Cardinal with a cow baby now. They will survive, we just dont need so many of them. Thanks Konrad!
...See More
tmann05
Original Author
13 years ago
Thanks guys, I followed your advice and removed the egg. I made a home-made hole reducer out of a piece of cardboard and taped it inside the box to the front of the box. It's been taped to the hole from all angles. Hoping it will hold up. It is a 1 1/4" or as close as I could get eyeballing it. The chickadees accepted it after a few minutes. Cardboard was the only thing I could think of that is flexible yet sturdy since I have gilbertson boxes. Crossing my fingers for no cowbird attacks. Never had a cowbird egg in 13 years of backyard birding, but now my 1st year at my new house and 1st nest of chickadees ever, I get one.
renee_2006
13 years ago
Do you mean a PVC box? If so this is what I did to make a reducer. I took a black plastic coffee lid and used a metal 1 1/4" hole reducer as a template, drew around it, cut it out, I then heated the bolt on the stove to use as the holes maker then used the nuts and bolts to screw it on the pvc box on the inside.Works like a charm.
tmann05
Original Author
13 years ago
Yes renee I use gilbertson pvc boxes. Thanks for the tip. Just an update I checked the box today and only 3 eggs remain. Not sure what happened. Any ideas or advice for what to do next? Could the cowbird have stuck her head in the 1 1/4" hole and grabbed two eggs for retaliation? If this nest fails will the chickadees renest? How many broods do they have a year?
kendra2003
13 years ago
I hope this is what happened. I have had missing BCCH eggs before, only to discover she had hidden them under the "fluff" they use. Could you re-check and see if the eggs are just hidden? If not, have you heard any HOWR around? The House Wrens and very sneaky. If they stole the eggs, they usually pierce them and leave them on the ground near the box. You could look carefully and see if there are any eggs on the ground. I sure hope they're only hidden by fluff.
tmann05
Original Author
13 years ago
Well they don't seem to cover up the eggs when I check the box, maybe this is because she was scared out or bad parenting? I do have house wrens in the area as I have heard them. I am praying the 3 remaining eggs make it. I didnt see any eggs near the box.
tmann05
Original Author
13 years ago
I checked the box yesterday and there were two hatchlings and one egg. One hatchling didn't seem to be moving very much. Well I checked it again today to see if the third egg hatched and only found 1 hatchling left with the egg. This nest has just gone down hill from day one it seems. I read they only have one brood. I hope this chick makes it but if not I hope they try again.
tmann05
Original Author
13 years ago
Well bad news the solo nestling passed way today. No trauma or anything. Maybe the chickadees were just first year inexperienced parents? At any rate I removed the nest and saved it incase I need it in the future. Will they renest?
renee_2006
13 years ago
In the future incase of wrens you could make a wren guard and put it on after the first egg is layed.

Related Stories

REMODELING GUIDES Contractor Tips: Advice for Laundry Room Design

By Buckminster Green LLC

Thinking ahead when installing or moving a washer and dryer can prevent frustration and damage down the road

LIFE Edit Your Photo Collection and Display It Best — a Designer's Advice

By Apartment 46 for the Home

Learn why formal shots may make better album fodder, unexpected display spaces are sometimes spot-on and much more

THE ART OF ARCHITECTURE Sound Advice for Designing a Home Music Studio

By Eric Reinholdt, Architect

How to unleash your inner guitar hero without antagonizing the neighbors

PETS What You Need to Know Before Buying Chicks

Ordering chicks for your backyard coop? Easy. But caring for them requires planning and foresight. Here's what to do

FUN HOUZZ Everything I Need to Know About Decorating I Learned from Downton Abbey

Mind your manors with these 10 decorating tips from the PBS series, returning on January 5

HEALTHY HOME What You Need to Know About Dust and How to Fight It

By Mitchell Parker

Breathe easier with these 10 tips for busting mites, dander and other microscopic undesirables

LIFE You Said It: ‘Some Ask Why, Others Why Not?’ and Other Houzz Quotables

By Becky Harris

Design advice, inspiration and observations that struck a chord this week

FARM YOUR YARD Hello, Honey: Beekeeping Anywhere for Fun, Food and Good Deeds

By The Best Bees Company

We need pollinators, and they increasingly need us too. Here, why and how to be a bee friend

PRODUCT PICKS Guest Picks: The Well-Stocked Starter Kitchen

By Liza Hawkins

We’ve got all the kitchen basics and tableware you need (or that recent grad needs) to make cooking a joy

GREAT HOME PROJECTS What to Know About Adding a Reclaimed-Wood Wall

By Rebecca Pogson

Here’s advice on where to put it, how to find and select wood, what it might cost and how to get it done

Sponsored