skip to main content

Dead Bluebird on nest with eggs

6 years ago

Earlier today I witnessed two females fighting with one male flying around them. There is a nest box in the area with eggs in it. I have never seen this before - they ended up on the ground a lot wrestling. A few hours later I decided to check the next box. It opens from the front and I could immediately see feathers sticking out of the nest. I tilted the nest a bit with a stick and there was a dead or dying bluebird on the eggs. The bird never moved. I closed the house back up. There are at least 4 to 5 eggs. A few hours later I noticed a male and female on the box. I went over and checked and confirmed the dead bird was still inside. I decided to remove it and leave the eggs. The male and female are at the box again and are now going in and out. Should I remove the eggs?

Sort by:Oldest

Comment (1)

parkernicole01
6 years ago
Oh- how sad. I think the current female will want to lay her own eggs since it seems the existing eggs are from the female that died (hate that). Assuming the male is/was mating with both. Make absolutely sure the new female is not incubating those eggs. I just left in the previous message ways you can tell f the eggs are currently being incubated. My assumption is that they are not. After you know for sure that she has no interest in those eggs, remove them. You can try leaving the nest to see if they'll lay eggs in that nest, but you may end up removing the nest too, so they can build their own nest. Sorry about the loss of one of your females. Bless her heart!
Related Discussions
Six Bluebird eggs in one nest! -- Pictures
Q
Comments (23)
i was reading this thread with interest. i have a situation where it appears i have 8 bluebirds who have hatched in one nest (thursday may 2, they were born). it may be 9, it's hard to tell. while monitoring the nest in late april i noticed what appeared to be eggs missing from the 3 that had been laid earlier in that week. the reality was that the eggs had been pushed down deeper into the nest and covered with pine straw. the mother kept coming back (may have been another species coming in and covering the egg with straw? i have seen no house sparrows here at all) and eventually she started laying again. turns out, there were 10 eggs total in this nest when she was done! i guess five from the first attempt and 5 after that. bottom line, 8 babies are in there now. i'm putting out meal worms twice a day and making sure there's lots of water nearby in the bird bath, and plenty of shelled sunflower seeds for the parents nearby in that feeder. anyone ever seen or heard of a situation like this?
...See More
Do bluebirds abandon nest with eggs?
Q
Comments (2)
I would like to invite you to join the bluebird nut cafe forum. It is much more active than this site and we have many veteran bluebirders that can give quick answers. Check us out! http://bluebirdnutcafe.yuku.com/
...See More
Bluebird Eggs in a Tres Nest
Q
Comments (3)
Well If you have ever seen TRES fledge theres no way a baby Blue will make it. I would almost opt to candle the eggs and if there is little to nothing there get rid of them. Is it possable to tell the difference between babies at hatching time? I would want to put them in the Blues nest but that could cause problems too. Lets think babies not eggs here. No way a blue can survive with a TRES Mom, overloading a Blue or having babies hatch days before her clutch could result in dead babies. Yikes this is one for Bet, Malinda or Cornell. Im still thinkin destroy the eggs so no babies ever suffer.
...See More
Puzzling bluebird nest and nesting behavior
Q
Comments (0)
We have been blessed to have bluebirds nest in our bluebird house for several seasons now. When I noticed the male and female tending to the box this spring, I took a photo of the nest which showed 5 perfect bluebird eggs (4/29). Two - three days later we noticed that the pair was no longer tending to the nest. The male began to charge at his image in our windows all day every day. The female could be seen at the suet feeder from time to time but not at the bluebird house. A closer check of the house revealed a clump of pinestraw protruding from the entry and so I checked the nest. It appeared that the eggs had been stolen (by raccoons?) and only a small piece of shell was left. The birds were no longer tending to the nest and so I cleaned it out and the pole was greased with cayenne pepper to deter raccoons. Another few days went by and I noticed that the pair was tending to the box again. I waited a few more days and took a photo on 5/10 of the new nest which showed 4 white eggs in it. Ever since then the female bluebird has been diligent in tending the nest, but the male rarely goes to it. I checked the box again today 6/7 and the eggs have not yet hatched. It seems that the hatching is overdue. Are these indeed bluebird eggs? I will avoid removing anything from the nest but I'm just curious about might be going on here. Any advice? The photo from 5/10 is attached.
...See More

Related Stories

GARDENING GUIDES How to Bring the Joy of Bluebirds to Your Garden

By Habitat Network

Attract these beautiful songbirds with nesting habitat and food sources, including berry-producing trees and shrubs

GARDENING FOR BIRDS What to Know About Birds Nesting in Your Yard

By Mitchell Parker

Learn how to observe, record data and help ornithologists with NestWatch’s citizen science project understand bird trends

DECORATING GUIDES Feathers for Your Nest

By Tiffany Carboni

Enjoy the natural beauty of dropped feathers in casual collections around the house

GARDENING FOR BUTTERFLIES Bring on the Birds: Natural Habitat Ideas for Gardens of All Sizes

Provide nesting, watering and perching spots inspired by the Costa Rican jungle and watch the birds flock on over

GARDENING GUIDES Backyard Birds: Healthy Home Habitats for Northern Flickers

By Habitat Network

These colorful woodpeckers found across the U.S. and Canada love berries, seeds and ants and often nest in deep burrows in trees

GARDENING GUIDES Small Carpenter Bees Are Looking for a Home in Your Plant Stems

By Pollination Press LLC

Provide flowers and nesting sites in your garden for this beautiful, tiny, metallic blue wild bee — your plants will thank you

FALL GARDENING 7 Reasons Not to Clean Up Your Fall Garden

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Before you pluck and rake, consider wildlife, the health of your plants and your own right to relax

HOME TECH Why Google Just Paid $3.2 Billion for a Company That Makes Thermostats

By Mitchell Parker

Smart home technology just got a new champion — and everyone is speculating about the reasons

OUTBUILDINGS Quirky Meets Practical in a Dallas Chicken Coop

By Marianne Lipanovich

These hens have a stylish backyard coop built from recycled materials

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

Sponsored

Dream Baths by Kitchen Kraft

12 Reviews

Your Custom Bath Designers & Remodelers in Columbus I 10X Best Houzz

More Discussions

Bluebirds never leave North Texas boxes.

0