Help! Nest in my garage (1 Viewer)

[sdz123]

My husband has found a birds nest in a duffel bag in our garage. When he peeked in a small bird flew out and he noticed 3 little eggs. She's been sitting on these eggs for a week now. We're not sure what to do because obviously our garage door is closed when we are not at home and at night. Once the eggs hatch how will she be able to feed them if the door is not open? Does she need to feed them all night long? Or just during the day? My husband wants to destroy the nest but I have convinced him to let Mother Nature take it's course. Any advice as to if this can work with them in the garage? I've thought about moving the bag outside but there's no where to put it without the cats getting them. Except maybe the roof? Thanks, Susan

 

[Katy Penland]

Hi, Susan! A warm welcome to you from all of us on staff here at BirdForum!

Boy, birds really pick their spots, don't they? You're right, the adult won't be feeding the chicks at night. My first thought would be to also let Nature take its course. The adult has been feeding well enough to lay eggs and presumably will continue to be able to find food for the hatchlings. Perhaps she knows a way in and out of your garage you're unaware of? Birds can slip through the tiniest holes imaginable. If the nest isn't in your way and if you can wait until the chicks are hatched and keep an eye on their progress (to try to assess whether they're getting fed properly), you might want to then consider calling a local vet or bird rehabber and see if they'd take the nest with the hatchlings in it. To remove the nest and/or eggs now would most likely result in the death of the unhatched chicks.

Hopefully, someone with more experience along these lines and far better advice will come along who can help you. :t:

Do you have any idea what kind of bird it is? Any chance of getting a photo of the adult (not the nest)?

 

[Accipiter]

sounds like a house wren by the nest site. There probably is an entrance for her to come and go, maybe by the bottom or the sides of the overhead door. In a month or so they should be out of the garage.

 

[sdz123]

Thank you for the advice. I feel much better now knowing that she won't need to get out during the night to feed. I did notice a small opening when the garage door is closed, a little smaller than my fist. She's little, so I'm sure she is getting in and through that hole. My husband thinks that she may be a sparrow? I have seen her twice and she's very small and brown, not sure if that helps. Only problem might be the fact that they are about 3 feet from my husbands Porsche! He's afraid the babies will get on his car and poop or something. I'm unfamiliar with the fledging process, etc.

Susan

 

[WMcLean]

Almost certainly wrens. They LOVE garages. They fledge quickly. Once they go, clean up the nest promptly and close things up so they don't have a second batch in there. THey are no more likely to poop on the Porsche than whatever is just outside.