Baby cardinals were a snack for something. Willparents lay more eggs in same nest? (1 Viewer)

[maxmom]

My baby cardinals are gone! We've enjoyed sitting on the patio every day and watching the parents stuff worms and insects down their throats and all of a sudden, "Poof", they're gone. I can only think a cat got them. Do squirrels eat baby birds?

There is one egg that never hatched still in the nest. Should I remove it? Will the parents lay another clutch in the same nest?

I miss them already!

I noticed a cow bird the other day. I read somewhere that they are notorious for laying their eggs in cardinal nests. I would like to leave the one egg in there so if they lay eggs in the nest, I will know that it is a cowbird.

Also, I had wrens build a nest in the wreath on our front door. We had a party Saturday and lots of people came through the door and now I haven't seen the wrens. I suppose they abandoned the nest??? Should I remove it?

 

[etudiant]

My baby cardinals are gone! We've enjoyed sitting on the patio every day and watching the parents stuff worms and insects down their throats and all of a sudden, "Poof", they're gone. I can only think a cat got them. Do squirrels eat baby birds?

There is one egg that never hatched still in the nest. Should I remove it? Will the parents lay another clutch in the same nest?

I miss them already!

I noticed a cow bird the other day. I read somewhere that they are notorious for laying their eggs in cardinal nests. I would like to leave the one egg in there so if they lay eggs in the nest, I will know that it is a cowbird.

Also, I had wrens build a nest in the wreath on our front door. We had a party Saturday and lots of people came through the door and now I haven't seen the wrens. I suppose they abandoned the nest??? Should I remove it?

Nestlings are fast food for many, including not only cats but also even cute animals such as chipmunks. That is why it is good to not come close to the nest, predators are not stupid and will check out what others are interested in.
Separately, cowbirds are usually pretty good about not wasting eggs on abandoned nests, so there is not much likelihood that the old nest will attract one.
Wrens are hyper by nature and the males will build multiple rough nests, stuffing several nest boxes if available. The female will select one of these and clean it up, removing the excess and building the real nest. Your wreath may well have been one of those spare sites. Wrens usually prefer a somewhat enclosed space, whereas house finches will happily nest on sheltered spots such as front door lights or wreaths.

 

[maxmom]

After viewing a few youtube videos of cardinal fledglings, and the way the birds were behaving the last two days, I think they actually flew the nest. At least, that's what I would like to think. The fake tree is so lightweight, a cat or heavier animal than a bird would have knocked it over.

Thanks for the answer about the wren nest. Still unanswered, should I remove the nest? Leave it a few more days? What do you think?

I appreciate your answers.

 

[Aloof1]

Cardinals are Multi-brood birds, they raise more than one clutch in the breeding season. Older established pairs that had success last year will start earlier but a first year starts later because they have to find a territory and mate. If a nest is ever threatened they (the parents) will try to distract the threat towards them but if that don't work usually they won't defend the nest physically unlike some other birds, they know they the parents are worth more alive to raise the young then dead and they can easily start the process in a day or two from a fresh start. Cardinals will lay a crap egg also, this egg will never hatch. Parents start the nest location lower to the ground earlier in mating season because the foliage has not come in yet on the higher locations, as they move on to another brood they will build higher because the cover has grown back. Not sure if they will use the same nest location but most likely they may use the same nesting materiel for the new nest, or some of it anyway. Most likely if a predator found the nest they won't go back to that location again for another clutch also remember the foliage has grown more since they started so they may choose a higher spot. anything could of ate the babies, snakes or cats or other birds. How old were the babies? was mother leaving the nest helping the male to bring food in? If they babies or should we call the fledglings have started flying they won't return to the nest..i am not completely sure of this though. I think they just sleep in the branches once they can fly. You would see mother and father bringing them to the feeders though if they were alive. The parents will try again and as long as they are hitting your feeder everything is good, you're located in their territory so you should see them again many times. If you don't have a feeder then buy some Safflower (microwave it first so it dont sprout on your ground) and striped sunflower seeds. Place them is a platform feeder or tray feeder..like a dish with drainage holes at the bottom. i would not remove the Wren nest, its not bothering you is it?

 

[maxmom]

Thanks for the reply! I will leave the cardinal nest in the fake tree on the patio and leave the "crap" egg, unless you say to remove it. The fledglings had begun to move around a lot the day before they disappeared. Both parents had been feeding them frequently. I realized that there were no feathers or plumage laying around, so it appears no evidence of plunder.

I discovered eggs in the wren nest in the wreath on the front door!

Also, the chickadee eggs in a nest on our propane tank are hatching! Four out of the six eggs have hatched so far. At least, I think they are chickadee eggs. If the picture uploads, please confirm for me!