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Nesting Behaviors
Name: Sheila
Status: N/A
Age: N/A
Location: N/A
Country: N/A
Date: N/A
Question:
A Robin nested on a window ledge outside a second
story window on my house. She laid four eggs and they were there
for 2 weeks. Over the last 2 days, all four eggs hatched. We saw
all four babies in the nest yesterday. This morning, there are
only 2 babies in the nest.
The Mom Robin is still taking care of those 2 babies. We (my 3
sons, ages 8, 5, and 2) are wondering what could have happened to
the other two babies in a nest on the second story of our home?
Replies:
A hawk or owl could have gotten them. They also could have fallen out of the
nest and been taken as prey by a snake, opposum, or skunk.
Grace Fields
Several senarios could be possible. First, it is common for some of the
hatchlings not to survive after hatching. Weaker nest members often do not
get enough food. Competiton between nest members is an issue with a large
clutch. Of course, disease and general health could have caused their
death. In any case, the adults will remove these dead or dying individuals
as they do with chick waste.
Keep in mind that Robin adults remove the waste packets and will
dump them away from the nest to protect the location of the nest from
predators.
Second, predators could be the cause. If all the members end of
disappearing, then this is probably the case. However, if the two remaining
members survive this is probably not the case for the predators would return
for the easy food.
Steve Sample
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Update: June 2012
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