Blackbird takes sparrow chicks

[Sheikh Yerboutti]

My 5 nestboxes were taken by sparrows and another pair built a nest in the ivy 6 feet below nestboxes. These chicks have been doing fine for about 2 weeks and the parents have been feeding them vast amounts. I went out early this morning and saw a male blackbird at this nest. I got the lader up and all chicks gone.I never knew this happened. Has anyone else seen similar? Ill have to put up more boxes .

[Brengirl]

I was so happy today till I read your post. What else can I say?

[Two_Sheds]

You saw him at the nest. You didn't see him harming the babies. Perhaps something else took them, and the blackbird was just investigating a new nest site?

[Sheikh Yerboutti]

Yes true, thats why I said I never knew of such behaviour and asked if anyone else has seen such a thing.

[Sheikh Yerboutti]

I just went and checked and the ivy does still have berries so its possible he may have been collecting them. Maybe it was a rat, I dont get squirrels.

[seasprout]

My 5 nest boxes were taken by sparrows and another pair built a nest in the ivy 6 feet below nest boxes. These chicks have been doing fine for about 2 weeks and the parents have been feeding them vast amounts. I went out early this morning and saw a male blackbird at this nest. I got the ladder up and all chicks gone.I never knew this happened. Has anyone else seen similar? Ill have to put up more boxes .

Hi sheikh, just read your post and you say that the parents were feeding the babies for about 2 weeks, well Ive just done a little checking The young fledge 14-16 days after hatching. They are unable to feed themselves for a week after leaving the nest and are cared for by their parents for a fortnight.

So it is entirely possible you baby sparrows have flown the nest.

[dincur]

Chickiller

I just read a post about vanishing chicks. We've had a huge surgance in the number of crows and especially magpies in the last 5 or 6 years. Up til the end of April you've got all these beautiful small birds (including thrushes and blackbirds) flitting around building nests etc.. It's about now that you'll start to notice them vanish and find them dead- with small tears on them. I was horrified to see last year two magpies and one crow attacking a male blackbird eating him alive - cannabilism. And have many a time seen magpies take a beakful of chicks and being chases by swallows etc. There is no ornitologist in the world that could persuade me to like them. Even Noah sent one off to his demise from the ark, and they're still around!

[jacob marley]

Everybody's favourite bird the Woodpecker will raid other birds nests 2 years ago i found a Treecreepers nest and was keeping a eye on it but the Woodpecker found it as well and drilled into it the Treecreepers are still about but have not found the nest this year found the Woodpeckers nest though..jacob

[Sheikh Yerboutti]

Hi sheikh, just read your post and you say that the parents were feeding the babies for about 2 weeks, well Ive just done a little checking The young fledge 14-16 days after hatching. They are unable to feed themselves for a week after leaving the nest and are cared for by their parents for a fortnight.

So it is entirely possible you baby sparrows have flown the nest.

No, Im afraid not. Ive had this colony here for some years and when they fledge they stay close to the garden where they get fed by the parents with my food mix. The parents are here vainly searching the nest all day.

[ginger ninger]

I don't know if you watch Spring Watch, but one year they were showing you all about Predation...this is where the male will take to young out of the nest and dispatch them, more so if he isn't the father to the brood. I'm not saying this is what has happened to your baby's although is could be the black bird has dispatched them... so there's more food in the area for his own brood!

[Two_Sheds]

. We've had a huge surgance

I had to look that up, it's not a real word You meant resurgence?

the black bird has dispatched them... so there's more food in the area for his own brood!

Sparrows are mostly seed-eaters, while blackbirds mostly eat worms & insects: they don't compete for food

[ginger ninger]

Sparrows are mostly seed-eaters, while blackbirds mostly eat worms & insects: they don't compete for food

Tell that to the sparrows in our garden they love nothing more than a big fat juicy caterpillar or fresh meal worm's. And there forever squabbling with the other bird's over them.

[Sheikh Yerboutti]

Yes sparrows are voracious predators, especially when theres chicks to feed. Theyre taking most of my damselflys and dragonflys as they crawl out of the pond .Ive ordered a kilo of live mealworms today to try and save the damsels.

[SueA]

It was probably a magpie if they've been taken from the nest. I saw a magpie killing & eating a young starling the other day just round the corner from me, the parents were leaping about on the roof screaming as the magpie cackled & ate the youngster nearby! Magpies are beautiful & intelligent birds but they do seem to have a nasty streak!
When they're in the nest the parents feed sparrows insects & grubs & once they're out of the nest anything goes but I doubt another bird would kill them to wipe out competition for food.
I thought also that maybe they'd just fledged but if you can't see them anywhere maybe they did fledge but have been caught by some kind of predator, cat, sparrowhawk etc. We have lots of fledgling sparrows at the moment, they didn't nest in our garden but come here to feed, they sit in the trees & shrubs pecking at buds & flying after their parents begging. I have seen sparrowhawks swoop & steal them from the fence in the past. We did have a couple of baby dunnocks too but unfortunately the cat left a dead one on the step the other day!