Dead Birds From Bird Box

[Nik_B 3,790]

Just wondering if anyone has any ideas about this.

 

We put a couple of bird boxes up on the wall of our house, we got blue tits nesting in one of them which was pretty cool and we enjoyed listening to the chicks chirping away when we went out side.

 

Yesterday morning the missus went out with the dogs and found two nestlings dead directly below the boxes. She didn't want to touch them so I went out and threw them in a bush, one seemed to have had some injury to the back of it's head maybe missing a small patch of skin but nothing on the other one. It could have happened after death I suppose.

 

I was just wondering if anyone has any ideas what has happened there? Have they been killed by a crow or maggie or died and been thrown out of the nest...or something else? The boxes have a small hole about 2 inches wide which is normal for a bird box, could a crow get it's beak in there? There are no gray squirrels on this island and there is no way cats has got to it .

 

Cheers

 

 

[sussex 5,776]

Can't think a crow / magpie would leave them ..maybe got a bit crowded as they grow and two got pushed or worked there way out ..

[socks 32,253]

Does your box have a little piece of doweling rod just below the hole

So the birds can stand on ???

[Nik_B 3,790]

Does your box have a little piece of doweling rod just below the hole

So the birds can stand on ???

 

Yes its a cheap box we drilled into the wall and that describes it perfectly.

[socks 32,253]

Right there's your problem ... now I can only give you half an answer as my old man told me this donkeys years ago ... I don't know which little bird it is but if you have somewhere they can stand a sparrow or robin or finch or one of the birds that size will stand there and there lean in and pull out the tit chicks ... cut off the little dowel bit and the rest will survive .......

[oz0707 65]

Are the rest still in or have they all flown the nest? It's not unusual for them all not to survive.

 

As has been said though they don't need a stick in front of hole so get rid. It's wicked when they fly to the box and land straight in the hole.

 

Got them in my box too at the min.

[The Seeker 3,048]

I've got bees in mine at the moment...

 

Had tits nesting each year until this

[stumfelter 3,032]

If the hole is two inches diameter that's way too big and a crow would get his head in although it would eat the chicks not leave them. Max hole diameter should be an inch and a quarter.

[Nik_B 3,790]

Right there's your problem ... now I can only give you half an answer as my old man told me this donkeys years ago ... I don't know which little bird it is but if you have somewhere they can stand a sparrow or robin or finch or one of the birds that size will stand there and there lean in and pull out the tit chicks ... cut off the little dowel bit and the rest will survive .......

 

Thanks Socks I'll do that

[Nik_B 3,790]

Are the rest still in or have they all flown the nest? It's not unusual for them all not to survive.

 

As has been said though they don't need a stick in front of hole so get rid. It's wicked when they fly to the box and land straight in the hole.

 

Got them in my box too at the min.

 

There are still birds in there, my wife actually bought be one of those bird boxes with a camera inside a few years ago but I never got round to putting it up, that would be very interesting.

[Nik_B 3,790]

Just checked the hole it's more like 30mm so not quite as big as I thought. I'll take those dowels off.

 

We do have a lot of sparrows and other small birds here but the dell is a frickin crow sanctuary, I was talking to someone the other day and mentioned that it would be a good idea if the village organised a cull next year and was told half the village like them and never to mention it again

[j j m 6,483]

i watched the magpies hopping around my neighbours bird box ,just waiting for a younging too hop out ,they could hear the young inside,but could mot get to them

[The one 8,401]

That theory seems right i was thinking along the lines of another male blue tit doing it to take over the nest box

[Nik_B 3,790]

That theory seems right i was thinking along the lines of another male blue tit doing it to take over the nest box

 

That's interesting I hadn't thought of that

[TOMO 24,978]

we got a blackbird nest in the hedge next to our back door,,,reared one clutch and fledged,,,,now on there second,,,2 new chicks and 2 eggs just hatching as of yesterday,,,i let the kids have a look every few days for a min ,,,,and they have a fair bit of mince from my dog bowls as it defrosts through the day,,,,,came in from work at 3 am this morning,,,it had rained none stop all night,,,,felt bad for the hen as i peeped in to see if she was ok,,she was of course,,,,but i got a gortex coat out and put it over the top of the hedge to keep the worst off,,,