Birds killed by cordyline plants!? (1 Viewer)

[deanleese]

I was simply wondering if anyone else had experienced or heard of birds getting trapped in and so dying in cordyline plants?

I have over the last week found three birds, a blue and great tit and a house sparrow tucked away deep in the fibrous leaves of a cordyline in my garden. All three birds looked like this years fledgelings.

My first thoughts were that something had killed the birds and was using the plant as a larder but the more I think about it and bearing in mind how deeply tucked into the bottom of the leaves close to the stem of the plant the birds were the more I'm inclined to think that these were inexperienced birds looking for insects who pushed themselves too far into the folds of the plant.

Of even greater interest is this a design of a plant I never new had carnivorous tendencies?

If any of you have any of these plants please check deep into the plant where the leaves join the stem.

 

[JHDraytonbassettpits]

Cordyline

I was simply wondering if anyone else had experienced or heard of birds getting trapped in and so dying in cordyline plants?

I have over the last week found three birds, a blue and great tit and a house sparrow tucked away deep in the fibrous leaves of a cordyline in my garden. All three birds looked like this years fledgelings.

My first thoughts were that something had killed the birds and was using the plant as a larder but the more I think about it and bearing in mind how deeply tucked into the bottom of the leaves close to the stem of the plant the birds were the more I'm inclined to think that these were inexperienced birds looking for insects who pushed themselves too far into the folds of the plant.

Of even greater interest is this a design of a plant I never new had carnivorous tendencies?

If any of you have any of these plants please check deep into the plant where the leaves join the stem.

Hi Dean,
Have you a photo of this plant. It would be worthwhile passing the details to the RSPB to see if this has occured with this plant at other locations.

Regards, John

 

[deanleese]

Sorry about the late reply... Had to figure out how to submit photos (not very computer savvy I'm afraid)

 

[NoSpringChicken]

Interesting. My own feelings are that the bird(s) died or were killed and fell into the plant and were funneled down to the bottom. I would be interested to hear what other people's suggestions are, though.

Out of interest, we planted a little Cordyline like yours in our garden about 13 years ago. It is now a tree with a trunk about 8 feet tall! In fact this year I attached a nest box to the trunk at about head height. A pair of Blue Tits inspected it inside and out several times but didn't adopt it, so I moved it to the side of the house. If your theory is correct, perhaps this was a fortunate move!

Ron

 

[deanleese]

Interesting. My own feelings are that the bird(s) died or were killed and fell into the plant and were funneled down to the bottom. I would be interested to hear what other people's suggestions are, though.

Out of interest, we planted a little Cordyline like yours in our garden about 13 years ago. It is now a tree with a trunk about 8 feet tall! In fact this year I attached a nest box to the trunk at about head height. A pair of Blue Tits inspected it inside and out several times but didn't adopt it, so I moved it to the side of the house. If your theory is correct, perhaps this was a fortunate move!

Ron

Funnily enough mine too were 10ft high trees until the first of the two severe winters killed them off, or so I thought... I cut the dead trees down at ground level and these plants have emerged from the stumps.

 

[The Moore-hen]

Just a thought but might be totally wrong - if the bases of the leaves had filled with water during the recent poor weather maybe the birds were attempting to drink or take drowned insects and being young, inexperienced birds themselves ended up being drowned too?

 

[Kevin Clements]

There's not a window in that side of your shed that the birds have flown into, fallen and funnelled by the shape of the plants into their centres and new leaves have grown around them?

 

[DaveN]

Just a thought but might be totally wrong - if the bases of the leaves had filled with water during the recent poor weather maybe the birds were attempting to drink or take drowned insects and being young, inexperienced birds themselves ended up being drowned too?

That was my thoughts too.

 

[deanleese]

Just a thought but might be totally wrong - if the bases of the leaves had filled with water during the recent poor weather maybe the birds were attempting to drink or take drowned insects and being young, inexperienced birds themselves ended up being drowned too?

I agree that they may have been trying to get insects but the leaves are too narrow to hold enough water for them to have been submersed. The leaves will move in the breeze but spring back to the stem with enough force to hold onto a small bird.