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Dead baby bluebid out on my deck

11 years ago

I have a lot of land. The chicadees were sucessful and while the chicadees were busy the wren was busy as was the bluebirds all seemed well. Then I noticed some obnoxious sparrows at the wrens house with a small hole as they wer about to fledge. All seemed well, woke up in the morning the wrens were gone seemingly rather suddenly, I saw nothing on the ground or anything. Then we had heavy rains this morning in the east. And there were the sparrows causing havoc with the bluebirds, They would not let the bluebirds in. Eventually they did . I had to leave got home and checked the box as I saw a sparrow fly out of it. Looked all over for eggs or babies nothing. Bluebirds had been there for about 3 weeks. So there was something in the box. Well I started thinking maybe she didn'thave babies but that was not right I have been at this for ages and did fail to check the box but it would have not made much difference. I go to sit on my deck and there I see a dead baby newborn right on the railing. As if the bird was trying to show me??? I do not know who did this perhaps the wren was mad if something happened or is it just these aggressive sparrows??? I am bogled and very mad. I feel like taking all the houses down!!. Will the blues come back or is it just not worth it??

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Comments (5)

myblueheaven
11 years ago
The blue birds were harassed and the babies were killed by the English sparrows. I'd suggest you remove all nest boxes until you can control your sparrow problem. Please educate yourself on the destruction house sparrows cause to our native songbirds.
User
Original Author
11 years ago
Yes I know how bad they are but now I found another dead baby from where I do not know. I have alot of wooded area for nesting of all types of birds. This one I just found was well feathered I do not know who it belongs to as the prior baby was naked and perhaps from the now gone bluebirds Someone or something is attacking other nests as I have no control of the deep wooded areas. Could it be the wren also. I am removing the nest boxes at least as I cannot bear to see this anymore??
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User
Original Author
11 years ago
also to note. I had wrens which were about to fledge all of a sudden they were gone never heard another peep which you usually do after fledging. I feel someone "may have gotten to their box even with a wren size hole. I found no evidence but my gut tells me otherwise. The Hosp was bothering them but they could not get in hole. So I am baffled.
User
Original Author
11 years ago
I began thinking. The chicadees and the wrens and a hosp box and bluebirds were all doing okay. I did not want to remove the hosp box as it worked as the bluebird took one box and the hosp the other. Everyone was leaving everyone alone. If I took the hosp box down they would have retaliated. Actually they are still there with their babies. What I believe happened was that another Hosp and his girlfriend from another area whether on my street or wherever came looking for a box and thats where the trouble began or perhaps something ruined their nest and they retaliated. They came out of the blue onto my property. Now that is hard to control.
myblueheaven
11 years ago
The fact that you have house sparrows with babies in the vicinity of other songbird nests is worrisome. The male hosp will claim a territory and kill mercilessly.
Because you saw the house sparrow at the BB nest preventing the BB to enter the nest, to me means he is the killer.
This male hosp has claimed your property and he will defend his territory to the death.

Yes, some types of wrens are known to remove BB babies from nests but the male hosp is likely the killer.

A shotgun will solve your problem

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