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Re: Bluebird chicks and an interloper
- To: Jenny Richards <JennyRichards@nc.rr.com>,<carolinabirds@duke.edu>
- Subject: Re: Bluebird chicks and an interloper
- From: Helmut Mueller <hmuelle@earthlink.net>
- Date: Tue, 06 May 2003 19:18:05 -0400
- Delivered-to: pardo@metalab.unc.edu
- In-reply-to: <004401c3141f$1e4b2a10$6501a8c0@D799NY01>
- Sender: carolinabirds-owner@acpub.duke.edu
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It is a Cowbird!
> From: "Jenny Richards" <JennyRichards@nc.rr.com>
> Date: Tue, 6 May 2003 18:30:36 -0400
> To: <carolinabirds@duke.edu>
> Subject: Bluebird chicks and an interloper
>
> Hi folks,
>
> I'm new to posting to this list, but have been lurking for awhile. Thought
> you all might be interested in the following:
> We have a bluebird house in our suburban backyard. Last year a pair of
> bluebirds had two broods(?) in the Spring. This year I was so happy they
> returned. The instructions that came with the house said to check the nest
> every couple of days to count the eggs and make sure the chicks are healthy
> with no blowflies, etc. Looking at the nest and disturbing the chicks when
> the adults are gone is apparently an okay thing to do. Anyway, a few weeks
> ago I noticed the adult bluebirds were back (same pair?) and taking nesting
> material into the box. A few days later I looked in and saw two perfect
> baby blue eggs. The next day there were three. And a couple of days later
> there were five eggs; four blue and one white with brown speckles, all about
> the same size. Hmmm. The blue birds were still around, so I knew they
> hadn't abandoned the nest. I was tempted to take out the white and brown
> egg, (clearly "one of these things is not like the others") but my partner
> said I shouldn't be practicing "bluebird eugenics." So I left it.
>
> We went on vacation and returning last weekend I checked the nest. Four
> little, ugly, breathing chicks. I tried to see if there was an egg still in
> the nest, but didn't want to disturb the chicks too much. Anyway, 3 of the
> chicks look like bluebird chicks - wide yellow beaks, downy gray/blue
> feathers. The fourth is decidedly not, however. It is uglier, in my
> opinion, with more bare skin and a trace of white on the wings. It's also
> the most active of the chicks in the nest. It's the only one with its mouth
> open for food when I look in. The adult bluebirds are still around.
>
> So, any ideas what species this young interloper might be? What songbird
> would lay an egg for another bird to raise?
>
> I'll take some digital photos of the nest and post them on the web.
>
> Thanks,
> Jenny Richards
> Hillsborough, NC
> jennyrichards@nc.rr.com
>