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Post by tanner on Apr 20, 2019 13:01:16 GMT
Thanks for taking a look! I have loved my backyard birds...naively believing there was harmony among my backyard friends...until I watched a House Sparrow invade my chickadee birdhouse and kill the mother and babies.
Needless to say, I am not a fan of the House Sparrow. Not. I was hoping for some help with this nest I’d. I was certain what I would find, but got a little surprise. Have you seen this before? I assume the speckled brown are HSparrow. The parent bird flies into the nearby tree so I will use a spotting scope to 100% I’d. But the blue egg? What happened here? Can the blue egg still hatch?
Any suggestions/help appreciated.
Tanner
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Post by tanner on Apr 20, 2019 13:02:33 GMT
Hmmm...not sure how to post a photo...
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Post by WildlifePaul on Apr 20, 2019 13:15:39 GMT
I am guessing you are from America to have chickadee? The blue eggs you are talking about will be a "Blue bird" Blue birds and chickadees are pretty common bird box nesters in america. Abit like our blue tits and great tits here in the UK. Google "blue bird eggs" and see if its the same, Maybe a blue bird as laid a egg in the bird box. Info on how to upload a picture can be found here step by step - birdboxdiaries.boards.net/thread/4/upload-images-postsP.s welcome to the forum  |
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Post by tanner on Apr 20, 2019 13:34:39 GMT
Well thanks so much for the quick reply! Yes, I am from the US, North Kentucky/Ohio area. Perhaps this is a British Bird forum I came to?
Well...you may find this interesting/controversial. But here is a little history. The House Sparrow was brought here maybe 100ish years ago. It is regarded as an invasive species. One of only 2 birds allowed by law to remove the nests/eggs. The House Sparrow (weaver finch actually) decimated the native birds. As an example...blue birds once flourished here. I have only seen a handful in my lifetime. The House Sparrow is quite vicious to the smaller birds. Some like wrens fight back fairly well, others end up dead.
I have never “intervened” before, but was considering removing this nest. The blue egg, I am quite certain now, is a House Finch egg (it would be such an extreme rarity to be a bluebird). A few days ago I found a similar egg on the ground. I am thinking the Finch made the nest, laid the eggs, House Sparrow cane and threw them out, laid her own eggs, finch returned and laid a final egg, Sparrow chased away finch. Hence, a nest with 6 House Sparrow eggs and one blue house finch egg.
I am wondering if the house finch egg can still hatch.
I am trying to figure out, as a very amateur birder, what I should do.
I don’t believe the House Sparrow is considered invasive/nuisance bird in England. Correct?
Tanner
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Post by WildlifePaul on Apr 20, 2019 13:43:11 GMT
Thank you for the back story Tanner,
It should hatch if the house sparrow leaves it in the box, I would imagine the male might try and remove it though.
Does the house sparrow win the fight over the blue bird? I would of thought the blue bird had more chance of scaring off the Sparrow?
Yes in the UK house sparrows are actually down in numbers, We are asked to help them.
I have had them nesting in one of my boxes for 4 years now currently sitting on 4 eggs at moment and gives me 2/3 broods every year in the box.
I have never had problems with them attacking my blue tit nests in other boxes, However over here we have nest box plates its mental plates to put over the hole of the box.
25mm / 28mm for blue tits and great tits, 32mm for sparrows, your chickadees are pretty much the same size as our blue tit, It might be worth putting a nest box plate of 28mm on the box so the sparrows can't enter, Do they do anything like that in the US?
Here's my sparrow nest at the moment
And my blue tits
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