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Post by guernic on May 11, 2020 12:37:46 GMT
Hello all,
I used to be a member of WAB but couldn't find it anymore. Anyway, we had a nest of Blue Tits in out wall, all was going fine until yesterday that a pair of House Sparrows were hanging around the entrance hole. The adult was fighting them but it didn't do anything.
This morning I found a dead adult on the floor underneath the hole and 5 young tits in varying states of death and near death. I put two back but they jumped back out later. It looked like they were pretty much ready to fledge.
It couldn't have happened on worse day as we have strong NE winds and it has turned cold. Is this common for House Sparrows? I'm guessing they kicked them out.
Very sad!
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Post by rowanberry on May 11, 2020 20:22:37 GMT
There are a lot of sparrows in our garden, and quite a few blue tits... I've not seen this sort of behaviour before, but that's not to say it doesn't happen, (one of the jays was trying to raid nests earlier today.)
Perhaps if they are limited as to nesting sites there might be rivalry? I know sparrows can be rather bolshie, so maybe if the tits had moved into a nesting site a sparrow had used the year before there might be issues. Hopefully someone here with more experience might be able to answer this for you... but in any case, I wanted to say I'm glad you've found us, and welcome to Wabi!
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Post by guernic on May 12, 2020 5:35:49 GMT
Thank you
Nest site availability is not the issue as we have a derelict house on our plot and nest spots everywhere. It is the first I've heard of it but apparently it does exist according to my now google search.
They have not bothered to occupy it now it is empty. Strangely, the very Blue Tit I mentioned was hanging around the Great Tit hole in the wall just round the corner the day before.
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Post by accipiter on May 12, 2020 7:29:50 GMT
Hello Guernic, it’s difficult to say what’s going on here, the only way to be absolutely sure is to either set up a camera or observe the behaviour, I prefer observation myself since I’m absolutely fascinated by bird behaviour specifically in little owls, Sparrowhawks and corvids, so yours is not really my area.
However, I’ll outline the possible answers in this case, first of all there’s territorial disputes which can take place across the species, (blue tits are very aggressive and may well chase off great tits.) Polygamy (more than one partner,) House sparrows are communal in their nesting habits so prefer to nest in colonies, but will turf an intruder out of its nest box, female house sparrows also choose large males or indeed more than one, again – polygamy.
Male birds may even kill the offspring of another partner or indeed except them, indeed some bird species will even foster another species e.g. robins feeding blackbirds or vice – versa. Some bird spieces, carrion crows for instance may have a third helper in the case of taking care of ofspring.
However, I suggest you provide more than one blue tit nest box preferable more than ten feet apart which may well avoid territorial disputes.
Alan
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Post by guernic on May 12, 2020 7:47:53 GMT
Thank you for your answer. I have no nest boxes, these are natural holes in walls.
The Blue Tits were nearly ready to fledge so have been there some time.
There is a House Sparrow nest in the eaves above them but it wasn't this pair.
The guilty paircare still around hanging on the wall in different places.
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