BIRD nest at home west and east If you live in a city or suburb, it can be hard to feel surrounded by nature. But next time you step outside, pause, look and listen — even in the most densely populated areas, birds are almost omnipresent. And no matter where you live, that can be a kind of magic, especially during nesting season.
“Rarely do we get this opportunity to get a front-row seat to a wild organism starting its life,” says Brian Evans, a migratory bird ecologist and project lead at the bird observatory at the Smithsonian National Zoo. “All we have to do is start noticing.” But having an avian neighbor can raise a host of questions, including how best to monitor a nest, how to keep it safe and what to do in case of nest abandonment. According to Chad Witko, a senior coordinator of avian biology at the National Audubon Society, the answer to most questions is usually to leave the nest alone. If you feel you must intervene, call a licensed wildlife rehabilitator in your area. “[Birds] have enough problems as it is,” he says. “It’s good to not let our good intentions do more harm.” How do I spot a nest? Despite the fact that birds are all around us, there’s a reason we don’t see nests everywhere: Parents try to build nests in secret. These hidden homes offer the best chance of survival for their eggs and young during nesting season, which, for many species, begins around April. “It’s a very dangerous time of year for birds,” Witko says. “Parents are doing everything they can to protect their young.” But there are a few signs that a bird might be nesting nearby. Look out for agitated adults, who may start vocalizing more aggressively if you’re standing near their nest. Adult birds making frequent trips to and from a specific location, especially with food in their bills, is also a telltale sign that they’re feeding young, Witko says. If you spot a nest from afar, try to leave it alone. Checking in too frequently or obviously can call the attention of predators (more on this below). Consider instead watching from a distance through a pair of binoculars. What if the nest is in an unsafe spot? Sometimes, nests are too easy to spot — like when a bird has made one over your garage or front door, or even in a nook of your car (like between the door and mirror). First, consider ways to avoid the nest: Does your house have another point of entry? Can you park on the street for a while? If there’s a nest in your flowerpot, it’s time to accept that your geraniums may need to go about four weeks without watering — roughly the time it takes for eggs to incubate and for young to fledge, according Witko. Depending on the time of the nesting cycle, mom and dad birds can abandon their nests if they are disturbed by nearby humans. Besides, with just a few exceptions for nonnative species, moving a nest is illegal in the United States under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. If avoiding a nest isn’t an option (there’s no alternate entrance to your home, or the nest is in your mailbox, for example), call a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. They probably won’t move the nest far — just a few feet, which will help keep the adults from abandoning it. How can I protect a nest from predators? The most common nest predators include snakes, rodents and other birds. But just like nesting birds, many predators are protected, so do not harm them in an effort to protect the babies. Birds such as jays and crows know that watching human activity can lead them to their next meal. That’s why, Witko says, he’s been instructed during field research to pretend to search for nests in the wrong places, and to cover his tracks after locating an actual nest. If you have a nest near your home, you should also avoid walking directly to it and inadvertently tipping off nearby predators. KR In the East we know what we do? K R IRS 16424 -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/CAL5XZoq%2B%3DtGCc63NrMsU6FSsvohC1aXeS9CLdzt40bvknFvtCg%40mail.gmail.com.
