A bird built a nest on my windowsill => cannot shut the window. What to do? (Finland) (1 Viewer)

[havu]

A bird built a nest on my windowsill => cannot shut the window. What to do? (Finland)

Hi,

I went to a trip for a few days, and when I came back, I discovered I had left the small sauna window open and a bird had built a nest on the windowsill. The window opens inwards, leaving an apparently nest-sized space outside, and now I cannot shut the window.

I guess I could somehow manage the open window if I block the gap with something. However, when I go near the window, the bird gets scared and flies away. There don't seem to be any eggs in the nest yet. So the question is, will the bird get scared every time it hears sounds from the bathroom or someone goes into the sauna and possibly at some point abandon its eggs/fledglings? So should I just push the nest over the edge before there's anything in it? Or play some loud music in the bathroom so that the bird gets scared and goes away by itself, like by boyfriend suggested? How long do birds nest anyway? Thanks!

 

[DarkFireFalcon]

Welcome!

Most birds don't spend much time at the nest until they lay eggs. They make lots of frequent trips bringing building material, then they'll lay eggs, and once all the eggs are laid they'll start incubating. So the fact that it's scared by someone going into the sauna isn't surprising. Once the eggs are laid, the female will be much less likely to flush, though she might leave the nest while people are in there. How the bird reacts depends somewhat on the individual and the species. I've had Eastern Phoebes nest successfully under my porch, which we use several times a day! I've had other species abandon their nests just because I happened to flush them from the nest once.

I've no idea what the laws are like in Finland, but in the US you can remove a nest that doesn't have eggs in it. In this case, it might be best for the bird to find a new place to build a nest before it goes through the trouble of laying eggs.

 

[stonechat1]

[...] I've no idea what the laws are like in Finland, but in the US you can remove a nest that doesn't have eggs in it. [...]

Really? Do you have a link for me with this information?

Over here in my country it´s prohibited to disturb (due approaching, taking photos, etc.) birds in their nesting area or on the nest itself. Don´t now what will happen if one consider to remove even a nest!
Finland is also a country of the European Union, I assume that the law is the same/ similar over there.

 

[DarkFireFalcon]

Info on the specifics of the law in the US (not all that helpful for the OP, though): http://www.fws.gov/migratorybirds/mbpermits/policieshandbooks/mbpm-2.nest.pdf

It's not considered illegal to remove a nest WITHOUT eggs, but once there are eggs or young involved, it is illegal. Of course, this is often widely ignore here in the US, even by state and federal agencies, but that's another discussion...

 

[Andy Hurley]

Welcome!

Most birds don't spend much time at the nest until they lay eggs. They make lots of frequent trips bringing building material, then they'll lay eggs, and once all the eggs are laid they'll start incubating. So the fact that it's scared by someone going into the sauna isn't surprising. Once the eggs are laid, the female will be much less likely to flush, though she might leave the nest while people are in there. How the bird reacts depends somewhat on the individual and the species. I've had Eastern Phoebes nest successfully under my porch, which we use several times a day! I've had other species abandon their nests just because I happened to flush them from the nest once.

I've no idea what the laws are like in Finland, but in the US you can remove a nest that doesn't have eggs in it. In this case, it might be best for the bird to find a new place to build a nest before it goes through the trouble of laying eggs.

Really? Do you have a link for me with this information?

Over here in my country it´s prohibited to disturb (due approaching, taking photos, etc.) birds in their nesting area or on the nest itself. Don´t now what will happen if one consider to remove even a nest!
Finland is also a country of the European Union, I assume that the law is the same/ similar over there.

But in Finland, its probably against the law to prevent a Finn using their sauna

 

[pppppvvvv]

I would go by your original suggestion.. block the window as best you can, and go about your normal activities in the sauna, preferably sooner than later. The birds can decide if they still want to nest there, before it is too late and they have eggs, and you aren't inconvenienced if they decide to stay.

 

[stonechat1]

You may ask BirdlLife Suomi for their advice, havu.
http://www.birdlife.fi/index.shtml

@peter.jones:
UK - law:

It is an offence, subject to certain exceptions [...] to intentionally take, damage or destroy the nest of any wild bird while that nest is in use or being built. It is also an offence to take or destroy an egg of any wild bird or to kill, injure or take them. Special protection is also provided for rarer birds listed in Schedule 1 of the Act (see box above), where it is an offence to intentionally or recklessly disturb a wild bird while it is building a nest or when it is in or near a nest with eggs or young

Source: https://tinyurl.com/ln2ppnr

As we don´t know which species is breeding there on the window I would hesitate to follow your suggestion.

[...] go about your normal activities in the sauna, preferably sooner than later. The birds can decide if they still want to nest there,[...]

 

[pppppvvvv]

Thanks for that Stonechat.. So, Havu, if you can block the window without taking, damaging, or destroying the nest, then problem solved.

Or the alternative solution is to lock the Sauna, and don't go anywhere near it until the birds have left, ~5-6 weeks.

 

[havu]

Ok, thanks for the advice! I took a closer peek at the nest and I was wrong, there is already at least one egg in it, so too late whatever the law is. Will have to try to block the gap somehow and also cover the window with some cloth. Unfortunately completely avoiding the sauna is not an option, so let's hope the bird is not too noise-sensitive.

 

[coal tit]

Nest on window sill

Ok, thanks for the advice! I took a closer peek at the nest and I was wrong, there is already at least one egg in it, so too late whatever the law is. Will have to try to block the gap somehow and also cover the window with some cloth. Unfortunately completely avoiding the sauna is not an option, so let's hope the bird is not too noise-sensitive.

And good
Luck to you and the birds.

 

[stonechat1]

Info on the specifics of the law in the US (not all that helpful for the OP, though): http://www.fws.gov/migratorybirds/mbpermits/policieshandbooks/mbpm-2.nest.pdf

It's not considered illegal to remove a nest WITHOUT eggs, but once there are eggs or young involved, it is illegal. Of course, this is often widely ignore here in the US, even by state and federal agencies, but that's another discussion...

The MBTA does not authorize the Service to issue permits in situations in which the prohibitions of the Act do not apply, such as the destruction of unoccupied nests. (Some unoccupied nests are legally protected by statutes other than the MBTA, including nests of threatened and endangered migratory bird species and bald and golden eagles, within certain parameters.)

I didn´t read in your posts that one needs a permit for the destruction of unoccupied nests nor that some unoccupied nests are legally protected, DFF.

 

[DarkFireFalcon]

The statement you quote above says that one does NOT need a permit to destroy unoccupied nests (because the Act does not apply to unoccupied nests). You're right, I left out the part about threatened and endangered species.

 

[rosbifs]

so let's hope the bird is not too noise-sensitive.

Dare we ask......

 

[havu]

Dare we ask......

Well, she's still there so I guess she doesn't mind sounds too much . I think the bigger problem for her was seeing someone in the sauna because after I covered the window I haven't heard her take off even once.

 

[Canadian Lady]

Dare we ask......

Nice to know I wasn't the only one thinking this! ||