Bluebirds

[Ice Shack Baby]

I have a bluebird house in my back yard. This weekend I found a bunch of blue feathers in front of the house. It looks like something had eaten the bird. I have not seen any more birds at the house. I looked inside and there were 6 eggs in the nest. A couple of questions:

1. What would have most like killed the bird? I don't see any wild cats around our house.

2. Assuming that the female was killed, would the male raise the chicks in the nest or is he gone?

Thanks

[micpic]

Ice, if the bird killed was the male, you may still have a successful hatch since the female does all the brooding. If it was the female, then I'd say it's curtains! I don't recall any males going into the nest box until the chicks are hatched on my box's.

As for the preditor, that's a toss up but cats come up first on my list, followed by other preditary birds since it was eaten. Anyway it comes out the other parent could possibly mate up again as Bluebirds will nest more than once a year. Feel good that you gave them the chance to nest and let mother nature take care of the rest. If they used the box the first time, they are likely to use it again!

Good luck,

mike

[Ice Shack Baby]

Thanks Mike,

I have owned the house for about eight years now and have had BBs nesting in them every year. Hopefully it was the male and the egss come out. We need the mosquito eaters up here as we had +3 inches of rain last week.

I used to live in northeast Iowa as well but never saw bluebirds down there.

[Ice Shack Baby]

Woke up this morning and there were 2 birds at the house. Hopefully good news and not 2 new birds trying to take over the nest.

[Tom7227]

Ice - if you're really into it you may want to check out this HSOforum - http://www.bbrp.org/ You may want to consider buying or building the Gilbertson style house. It is 4 inch thinwall PVC painted to look like a birch tree. It is put up with a 1/2 inch piece of rerod and conduit over that. Pretty much predator proof.