Dead birds
-
Harold Green
- Posts: 44
- Joined: Tue Jan 27, 2004 3:30 pm
- Location: Georgia/excited
I did a nest check today and got a big surprise. When I checked the nest about six days ago there was five or six eggs in each nest, and I knew it was time for them to hatch. Today there was anywhere from one to six baby birds dead in each nest. We have had some cold nights for the last week but the days were in the sixties and night time in upper thirties and low forties. Did the young birds get too cold at night or did they starve? I've had martins at this location for about ten years and never seen anything like this before.
-
John Miller
- Posts: 4863
- Joined: Mon Mar 22, 2004 9:11 pm
- Location: St. Louis, MO
Harold
I have read a similar report in last few days from Alabama.
In the first few days of life and maybe as long as the first week, unfeathered babies are susceptible to getting chilled. The parents can sit over them at night, but they leave during the day to seek food, and may stay out longer when feeding is poor. Hopefully you'll still have more nests that progress successfully.
Others can add more.
John M
I have read a similar report in last few days from Alabama.
In the first few days of life and maybe as long as the first week, unfeathered babies are susceptible to getting chilled. The parents can sit over them at night, but they leave during the day to seek food, and may stay out longer when feeding is poor. Hopefully you'll still have more nests that progress successfully.
Others can add more.
John M
Harold, I'm over in Alabama and we are about on the exact same latitude. I do live around 1050 feet above sea level and I'm not sure of your elevation. I know our weather would at least be similar. I lost at least 51 nestlings due to this last cold snap. They died from hypothermia, and I suspect yours did too.
-
Harold Green
- Posts: 44
- Joined: Tue Jan 27, 2004 3:30 pm
- Location: Georgia/excited
Brad-AL wrote:Harold, I'm over in Alabama and we are about on the exact same latitude. I do live around 1050 feet above sea level and I'm not sure of your elevation. I know our weather would at least be similar. I lost at least 51 nestlings due to this last cold snap. They died from hypothermia, and I suspect yours did too.
The cold is what I thought. I have 32 gourds with 154 eggs on the first nest check and when I checked them a week later about half were gone. I removed twenty dead birds and either the remaining eggs or dead baby birds had already been removed by the older birds. As of now I have about fifty young birds or eggs. I am at 1070 feet above sea level
I guess the good Lord has a way ballancing out all species of this worlds population.