Dead baby birds (1 Viewer)

[daz_martin]

Disturbingly over the past couple of weeks I have been finding a few dead baby birds around the garden. I only have a small garden so I know they haven't fallen out of nests. All of them have been pre-fledgling as in no feathers. I found 2 the other day side by side on the drive at the front of the house. I found another 2 a few days later in the back garden again side by side. Only yesterday I found another one on the lawn, this time much larger, I think ether a wood pigeon or dove again no feathers. None of them have ever been marked, if it was a magpie would they not eat them ? we rarely get magpies in the garden although I have seen a pair hanging around on the house opposites roof. I don't think it's cats as we have a dog and he is often in the garden and cats don't come in. Anyone got any clues ?
Many thanks.
Darren

 

[Shaggy2070]

Quite often young birds die in the nest not long after hatching for various reasons (shortage of food, cold, disease, maybe just very weak and don't gain any strength) and when that happens the adults will take the body of the dead chick out of the nest, because they don't want a rotting chick in the nest with the other young, and drop them away from the nest.
So at this time of year it's not unusual to see quite a few dead chicks lying around.

 

[daz_martin]

Thanks for that, strangely I watched spring watch last night and the great tits did exactly that. They mentioned a few dying due to the weather. Thanks again.