Help! Other birds trying to take over barn swallow's nest
mrsdaddyduck
14 years ago
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aleksandras
14 years agobluebirdbabe
14 years agoRelated Discussions
when do birds take over a nesting box?
Comments (2)Hi: I'm in zone 5 on the east coast. I have bluebirds and tree swallows using boxes now. The bluebirds have 5 eggs in one box and the tree swallows have claimed the other box, but that is as far as they have gotten. They have been here for 3 seasons now. I believe they feel more comfortable and territorial here now. The bluebirds winter over here. This is the earliest they have nested. The first year I think they finally had a nest attempt in May (house sparrows kept taking over) and were finally successful in July. You may only have house sparrows if you have them in your area. They will out compete (and kill) every other species that makes an attempt to nest unless you help them....See MoreInjured fledgling Barn Swallow - Assistance?
Comments (3)Well, I spoke with the wildlife rehabber and nobody does song birds. Aside from capturing/putting him in a cage, there's nothing I can really do. The local vet won't work on wild birds unless your a rehabber. Both recommended I look into becoming certified. I'll think about it but we're pretty rural and I don't see too many people caring for birds (unless they're a raptor). So, I made sure the little guy was in a safe area and was visible to the parents. Mom and dad were both flying around but I think they were trying to encourage more than feed. The fledglings have been out for over a week and they can fly really well; they're all in the learning stages of catching their own food. I think he ran into something and dislocated a wing joint. Little guy moved so fast on the ground that I couldn't catch him without fear of further injury. Unfortunately, he didn't make it. I think he died from dehydration. Poor little guy....See MoreCan a single parent barn swallow raise babies?
Comments (13)As I wrote in my post, my reference was to domestic cats, not to feral or barn cats who live their lives without being fed or receiving immunizations, deworming, external parasite prevention, and other routine veterinary care. I have precise first hand knowledge of what species my cats have killed over the past 40+ years and a good idea of how many of each because they bring their quarry home to my front porch and, being well fed, only occasionally do they eat one of their game animals. I could probably count on my fingers the number of birds my cats have killed over the past decades, and among these were a few English sparrows. I would say that on average 6 to 11 baby barn swallows have fledged from nests on our front porch and eaves of the barn each year, despite the presence of our cat(s.) The parent bird who fell victim this year is the only swallow killed by one of our cats ever, so I'd say that the survival rate is highly stacked in favor of the swallows. (Seven on average x 40 some years is a large sum of swallows that have come into being on my felines' terrain.) Toxoplasma gondii only poses a threat to developing fetuses and those with severely compromised immune systems. It is important that pregnant women avoid contact with litter boxes. Other than this caution, the risks posted on the inflammatory website you posted are highly exaggerated. As I also stated, this is a moot point since my current kitty has only perhaps another year of going outdoors and I do not intend to replace her when she is gone. We will have to agree to disagree on this point....See MoreQuestion about barn swallow fledglings.
Comments (2)Thanks Lisa, I like the thought of the little birds hanging out with their cousins from the barn nest who are their seniors by approx. a week. I imagine the single parent bird did have his wings full trying to round up his whole brood each night, and probably the first two nights were enough to ensure their safety. He or she is probably in need of a rest at this point. I hope the severe rainstorms did not endanger the swallows. If by "baby" you mean my cat, I did as always and kept her in during the hazardous fledging period, but she's in and out now. She's not having much luck hunting though; only a few rodents turning up on the porch. I think the rain this past week has halted/slowed the activities of all life forms....See Morealeksandras
14 years agobluebirdbabe
14 years agoaleksandras
14 years agobluebirdbabe
14 years agoaleksandras
14 years agobluebirdbabe
14 years agoaleksandras
14 years agodzyg
14 years agoaleksandras
14 years agodzyg
14 years agoaleksandras
14 years agomrsdaddyduck
14 years agoaleksandras
14 years ago
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