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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
 
Posts: 1349 | Location: Southern Black Hills | Registered: September 14, 2012Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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I'd say a predatory bird or cat is getting into the nests.
 
Posts: 8962 | Location: The Red part of Minnesota | Registered: October 06, 2002Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Plowing straight ahead come what may
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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


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Posts: 10588 | Location: Southeast Tennessee...not far above my homestate Georgia | Registered: March 10, 2010Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Squirrels would be my guess.


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Posts: 2583 | Location: Upstate NY | Registered: July 02, 2002Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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We have a shit load of the freeloading BH cowbirds here. Bastards!

RMD




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Posts: 20324 | Location: L.A. - Lower Alabama | Registered: April 06, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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They'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.
 
Posts: 1315 | Location: Tampa, FL | Registered: June 26, 2012Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Some 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.
 
Posts: 74 | Registered: April 19, 2016Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Eye on the
Silver Lining
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quote:
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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Posts: 5342 | Registered: October 24, 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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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
 
Posts: 11828 | Location: Herndon, VA | Registered: June 11, 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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quote:
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!!!
 
Posts: 1553 | Location: South Carolina | Registered: August 06, 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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