Sad story - any explanation???

15 years ago

I have had a pair of bluebirds nesting in a Gilbertson pvc nest in my yard for 3 years, successfully raising 2-3 broods each year. This year, they hatched 4 young and seemed to be doing great. Three days ago, I noticed an entire gang of house sparrows in my yard. A little while later my son found both adult bluebirds dead in a little stream about 100-150 yards from their nest. I ran out and found their babies on the ground outside of the nest. Two had already died, and I took the other 2 to a rehab place where they are doing well so far.

When I look at the adults, it is hard to tell how or why they died. They don't have bald spots or blood on them, and were just lying in shallow water 4 inches apart. Could the house sparrows have killed both of them at once like that? I couldn't tell if their eyes were intact, but as I said, there was no apparent blood. Obviously the HOSP were what got to the babies, but what else could have happened to the parents????

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Comments (13)

chickadeedeedee
15 years ago
Maybe the adults were poisoned by something / someone and the chicks were left vulnerable in the nest? If the adults were in a fight with other birds you'd expect at least some trauma or missing feathers.

Nice save of the chickies.
lcmoore99
15 years ago
I am so sorry!! How sad. I have no insight as to why but I DO have a lot of both sympathy and empathy.

GREAT that you got 2 of them to rehabbers. I wish we had some rehabbers in OUR area.

Let us know how the surviving chicks do, ok?

blessings, Linda...
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bbcathy
15 years ago
Sue I'm very sorry about what happened to your birds. I know exactly how you feel b/c it happened to me quite a few years ago. The only difference was I knew the hosp killed my adult male and broke all the eggs. I never found the female and choose to believe she got away. I decided that would never happen again in my yard if I could help it. Unfortunately the hosps will not go away and will cause you more grief later. I don't think we'll ever know for sure what happed to your adults. If I wanted to continue to host blues I would go to www.sialis.org and do some reading and find out what can be done about the hosps. We will help you if you need it. Meanwhile do not allow them to nest in your boxes.
Again so sorry
Cathy

Here is a link that might be useful: sialis
mulchmamma
15 years ago
Such a waste and so sad. Something we should not have to deal with but we do.
I haven't seen any HOSPS at my house yet but am fully prepared to deal with them to make my babes safer. That's my promise to them when I monitor their boxes and find them snuggled and safe. Cannot imagine the horror otherwise.

Think many of us have a lot of Rambo in us to deal with the problem. Good luck to you.
suebeck
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks to everyone for the good wishes. So far, the surviving babies are doing well! I had considered the idea of poison, as lots of my neighbors use herbicide and probably insecticide on trees and lawns, but what are the chances that they would both be poisoned at the same time and die at the same time, right next to each other??? It just seems so odd. It would make sense that they would be by the water trying to drink if they were poisoned, though.....
I have already taken care of my HOSP problem.... I made the mistake of neglecting a box out in my pasture last year, and I'm convinced that these HOSPs are the result. After dispensing o the sparrows, I closed off all but one box that my swallows are using.
Should I open the pvc boxes back up and hope for bluebirds to use it for a second brood? I am crossing my fingers that some will eventually return. I have planted lots of serviceberry, viburnums and hawthorns in order to attract them. Thanks to all for your help and support!
bbcathy
15 years ago
Sue I would if I were you. Then if hosps try to take the box you can get rid of them and If you've been raising blues all this time there is a good chance more are around and will nest with you the second go around The only thing that will make me feel better after a loss is to fledge another brood safely.
Cathy
blumz
15 years ago
I am so sorry to hear this very sad story.

This is so upsetting to me. Are all sparrows this bad? I am afraid I wouldn't be able to tell a house sparrow from the others. Like I mentioned in another post, I am in a new subdivision and all birds have not found their way here yet ... so far goldfinches, hummers, housefinches, and of course, my beautiful bluebirds.

Just this morning I saw what I took to be a sparrow sitting on a shepherd's pole, but he was only there a few seconds. Now I'm getting worried. I don't know what kind it was, and I can't stand guard over the box forever.
donnalovesblue
15 years ago
What a sad story indeed...

Blumz....When I first joined the forum in Jan., after I put up my first bb box, I had never heard of a HOSP, much less knew what they looked like..expert forum members quickly jumped in...they hang out by the hundreds at restaurants, dept. stores like Lowe's and Walmart and build nests in the huge neon store letters above the entrances...didn't have a clue that was a HOSP...then I went to Sialis to get a better picture.

Fortunately, I have never seen one in my neighborhood and think I would have a heart attack if I did! I don't think other sparrows are a threat...I have many, such as chipping sparrows, white crowned (?) and they are delightful birds...But I gotta tell you, I'm not 100% comfortable, so I'm contantly on the look out!

Suebeck..best wishes for successful future nesting!

Donna
dave_in_va
15 years ago
Blumz,here is a male HOSP. Notice the sharp tip on his beak. That's his weapon.

If you want to see more shots of them,perched,in flight, male and female. Go to my Pbase site. There are more than 200 pictures there and I must have another hundred or so on my hard drive that I need to upload.

Dave

Here is a link that might be useful: house sparrow pictures
bluebars
15 years ago
Dave, that looks to be a young male. The black beard is more pronounced on the adult (but you can surely see that lethal beak!)
See more pics and information at the link below. Get to know them, because other sparrows are NOT a threat, in fact HOSP are not really sparrows, but a type of weaver finch. The name House Sparrow technically is a misnomer.
Bluebars

Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.sialis.org/hosp.htm
trailerparkbirds
15 years ago
Sad to hear about your lose, I normally don't get emotionally about these things being a man, but this beats the cake, leave small lump in the throat. Anyway never had to really deal with the HOSP or the wrens, sure I've seen the HOSP in and out of the nest over the years and have pulled their nests out but they've never stuck around though, I don't know why but they haven't. But my little experience on this forum I'll be watching more careful for them.
sincerely,
Keith
blumz
15 years ago
Dave, Thank you so much for the pictures. He even looks mean! That sharp tip looks like it could really do damage. Thanks for the link to your photos. You certainly6 have a lot of them!

I'm going to spend some time over at the sialis to get more familiar with them and the other enemies of bluevirds. Seems that in my new home, I'm going to have to adopt an entirely different attitude toward birds. All are DEFINITELY not welcome.
suebeck
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks for all the input everyone... upon close inspection, I really think the bluebirds had their eyes pecked, and after seeing their tiny babies writhing on the ground it will be very hard for me to be sympathetic to HOSPs ever again. I used to think that pulling their nests out of the boxes was enough, but not anymore. That just gives them the opportunity to go elsewhere and raise young. Good luck to all in the war against them!

Sad story - any explanation???

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