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Spring Bird Question
May 25, 2017, 06:29 PM
walkinghorseSpring Bird Question
I have noticed several small broken egg shells in the grass, at some distance from any tree. Solid blue ones mainly, robins? Some other speckled ones show up at times. Does the bird happen to be flying around and the urge to lay an egg hit before they can get to the nest, or is there something else happening?
Jim
May 25, 2017, 06:39 PM
MNSIGI'd say a predatory bird or cat is getting into the nests.
May 25, 2017, 06:57 PM
BisleyblackhawkIf you are finding the brown speckled egg shells near the blue robin egg shells...I would bet they are brown headed cowbird egg shells...they are famous for laying their eggs in the nest of other birds...
They hatch together and as they mature, the bigger cowbird hatchling will take over the nest...kick the others out and work the mother almost to death feeding it's freeloading ass.
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/...wn-headed_Cowbird/id
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May 25, 2017, 07:31 PM
12GASquirrels would be my guess.
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May 25, 2017, 07:38 PM
rduckworWe have a shit load of the freeloading BH cowbirds here. Bastards!
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May 25, 2017, 07:48 PM
steelcityfishanddiveThey're pushing the eggs out and using the nests.
I just bought a couple bluebird houses that a I'll have to keep an eye on.
May 26, 2017, 01:17 AM
pakrat57Some birds will actually take the egg shells and drop them away from the nest so the shells don't leave a road map to the nest.
May 26, 2017, 03:00 AM
irreverentquote:
Originally posted by Bisleyblackhawk:
If you are finding the brown speckled egg shells near the blue robin egg shells...I would bet they are brown headed cowbird egg shells...they are famous for laying their eggs in the nest of other birds...
They hatch together and as they mature, the bigger cowbird hatchling will take over the nest...kick the others out and work the mother almost to death feeding it's freeloading ass.
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/...wn-headed_Cowbird/id
This was my first thought as well- also someone else mentioned that parents take the shells away after hatching the chicks and dispose of them, just like the droppings.
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"Trust, but verify."
In the early stages, the poop comes out in sacks that the bluebird removes from the nest. Later as the babies mature with feathers, real poop is left in the nest.
41
May 26, 2017, 06:06 PM
BigWhupquote:
Originally posted by 41:
In the early stages, the poop comes out in sacks that the bluebird removes from the nest.
Wood thrushes do this also and they like to drop the fecal sacks into water so it is carried away from the nest. Works great unless the water happens to be your pool.
Ask me how I know that!!!