Blue Bird Eggs Sabatoged? (1 Viewer)

[ahrzee]

Hi,
We have a pair of Blud Birds that regularly nest in a box we have in our backyard. (We live in the mid-Atlantic area of the US.)

The female laid 5 eggs a few weeks ago. Today when I checked the nest (expecting the first hatchling), I found the eggs on the ground below the nest box. All were cracked open. One or two look like they may have been pecked. See pic below.

Could a predator bird have gotten in the box and destroyed the eggs? We have a baffle around the box and it's in an open area so a squirrel can't get there. Seems like it could only be another bird... Or did the BB's sense they weren't viable and destroyed them?

If it's a predator bird, is there anything I can do to prevent this in the future? I have the recommended size hole for a BB box. Such a shame; we were looking forward to seeing the babies.

Thanks for your response and info!

 

[Kits]

Welcome to Birdforum. I’m sorry I can’t help. However, it is best to leave nests alone and not check them as it can cause the nest to be abandoned.