Re: [cayugabirds-l] Teenage fledglings feeding the next brood

[Geo Kloppel]

The number 3 suggests one possibility: Many bird populations contain significant numbers of unpaired “floaters”, and at times, if accepted, a non-territorial floater can become a helper at the nest of a breeding pair… -Geo On Jul 30, 2024, at 11:47 AM, Deb Grantham <d...@cornell.edu> wrote:  Definitely 3 or more robins going in and out of that bush feeding. But could be more than one nest. There has been in the past.   Deb     From: bounce-128312562-83565...@list.cornell.edu <bounce-128312562-83565...@list.cornell.edu> On Behalf Of Deb Grantham Sent: Saturday, July 27, 2024 11:19 AM To: Donna Lee Scott <d...@cornell.edu>; anneb.cl...@gmail.com Cc: madonna stallmann <madonnaoftheprai...@gmail.com>; CAYUGABIRDS-L <cayugabird...@list.cornell.edu> Subject: RE: [cayugabirds-l] Teenage fledglings feeding the next brood   I’ve been watching robins feeding and it seems as if there are many more than 2 of them feeding. At times, there’s almost a conveyer belt of them going in and out of the bush. The nest is in a dense juniper bush so I can’t see what’s going on in there. But it sure looks as if some of the robins flying into that bush with things in their beaks are young looking (their head feathers).   Deb     From: bounce-128312534-83565...@list.cornell.edu <bounce-128312534-83565...@list.cornell.edu> On Behalf Of Donna Lee Scott Sent: Saturday, July 27, 2024 9:45 AM To: anneb.cl...@gmail.com Cc: madonna stallmann <madonnaoftheprai...@gmail.com>; CAYUGABIRDS-L <cayugabird...@list.cornell.edu> Subject: Re: [cayugabirds-l] Teenage fledglings feeding the next brood   regarding Madonna‘s neat observations of young bluebirds “helping to feed” their younger siblings : I have just been reading “the bird way: a new look at how birds talk, work, play, parent, and think”  by Jennifer Ackerman.   She discusses novel, unexpected bird behaviors & said Louis Lefebvre of McGill University in his work on bird behavioral flexibility “combed through journals of the past 75 years and found more than 2000 reports of … innovative behaviors in birds of different species.”   So, here we have another example of that, perhaps.    Donna Scott Kendal at Ithaca-377 Sent from my iPhone   On Jul 26, 2024, at 11:54 AM, anneb.cl...@gmail.com wrote: Western bluebirds do have “ help at the nest” from previous young (year old ones) but I wasn’t aware of it in Eastern Bluebirds.  And especially not young of the same year!  I thought I saw this in barn swallows—well, not feeding but bombing me around a second nest— when I was myself a kid.    If others know of reports or published descriptions, please share!     One wonders if climate change will make later nesting/ renesting more advantageous. Might change these familial behaviors or offer more opportunities.    Anne Sent from my iPhone   On Jul 26, 2024, at 8:43 AM, madonna stallmann <madonnaoftheprai...@gmail.com> wrote:  Hi bird friends!   We've been having fun watching our bluebird nest box! This year we've had the pleasure of watching the first of the year nestlings hang out with the parents, and to our surprise they are even "helping" feed the second brood! I'm curious as to whether others in this group have witnessed this behavior? I would love to hear your stories. Anyone?   ❤️🐦, Madonna Stallmann    -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: Welcome and Basics Rules and Information Subscribe, Configuration and Leave Archives: The Mail Archive Surfbirds ABA Please submit your observations to eBird! -- -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: Welcome and Basics Rules and Information Subscribe, Configuration and Leave Archives: The Mail Archive Surfbirds ABA Please submit your observations to eBird! -- -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: Welcome and Basics Rules and Information Subscribe, Configuration and Leave Archives: The Mail Archive Surfbirds ABA Please submit your observations to eBird! -- -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: Welcome and Basics Rules and Information Subscribe, Configuration and Leave Archives: The Mail Archive Surfbirds ABA Please submit your observations to eBird! -- -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: Welcome and Basics Rules and Information Subscribe, Configuration and Leave Archives: The Mail Archive Surfbirds ABA Please submit your observations to eBird! -- -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: Welcome and Basics Rules and Information Subscribe, Configuration and Leave Archives: The Mail Archive Surfbirds ABA Please submit your observations to eBird! --