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House finches nesting

11 years ago

As I opened the back door the other morning to let my dog out I noticed that a pair of house finches had begun building a nest under the balcony which is just above the back door. It is rather interesting to watch the male perch on a nearby hanging basket and keep a wary eye out as the female gets every piece of material in place exactly the way she wants it.

I honestly don't mind this at all-any native bird is more than welcome to nest on my property-, however it is a high traffic area. My wife, my dog and myself are walking in and out through the door throughout the day. My concern is whether or not any chicks that hatch would get spooked and jump from the nest or fledge early. It is a seven foot drop to the concrete below. Should I remove the nest, or leave it? Last year I had to stop some robins from building a nest on a light fixture which is also right nest to the door as they started getting rather testy whenever we going in and out. Also, I know it is illegal to remove eggs which belong to native birds, but is it illegal to remove uncompleted nests?

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Comments (4)

lisa11310
11 years ago
Id say they are safer there with human activity that may keep preditors away. The babies will become accustom to normal sounds long before they can jump out. You can always put a soft surface under the nest in case any fall out.
backyard_sanctuary
11 years ago
Before the birds selected your balcony as the place to build their nest they surveyed the site first for potential danger.
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Dante1709
11 years ago
It's illegal to move native bird nests, which probably includes incomplete nests..

According to Wikipedia :
"Nests are made in cavities, including openings in buildings, hanging plants, and other cup-shaped outdoor decorations. "

I honestly don't think they would mind that much, but it's best to keep your activity to a minimum once the eggs are layed/hatch.However, if it is really a bother, you should take it down..The female can built a new nest in 2 days anyway..

If you do let them nest,take it down once they fledge..This way, they don't reuse the nest..
GoldfinchGuy
Original Author
11 years ago
Thanks for the input, guys.

It appears that the finches have moved on. All the nesting material is gone, and I haven't seen the pair since yesterday.

While they were in the process of putting the nest together they seemed to be having a bit of trouble. Several times the nest was torn apart and rebuilt. Whether it was ransacked by other birds or if the wind blew it down I'm not sure. A few times I did see them chasing away other house finches.
I'm a bit dissapointed as I would have liked to watch their chicks grow up, but I hope they've found a safer site!

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