Can I move a birds nest??

14 years ago

There is nothng better then to have birds in one's garden, I love it, because I am a totally organic gardner. My problem is I have a planter by my front door that has pansies in it. I noticed one day while watering a bird was trying to build a nest in this planter, that is hanging on the wall by my front door. I pulled it out (it was empty, the bird was in the process of building it) I thought if I pulled out the nest in process the bird would go somewhere else and do her nest. Let me explain why I pulled it out, while she was in the process of building the nest I attempted to pull it out because I knew being by the front door and in the planter I could not water the plants in the planter and the pansies would die which would make the nest in the wide open. Well that is what exactly what happen, I stopped watering the planter because I did not want to get the nest wet, well the plant's went down and the nest is in the wide open, the pansies were hiding the nest before they died. Now when we go out the door and/or anyone comes to the door the bird takes off. The planter is at shoulder level and I am 5'7 a cat cannot get it but any other predator can (birds etc...). The nest is right out in the open, I feel sorry for her. So I thought I could move the planter higher up, I will not be touching the nest just moving the planter that the nest is in. If I was able to move it up higher, the nest will not be disturbed and will be in a more private place and not in the wide open. The planter will be up higher. My question is, If I move the planter up approximatly 15 inches up will she still go to the nest? Will she abandon it? I am not going to touch the nest, I just want to move the planter that the nest is in up higher, so that the nest is not right there at face level. If I move it up she will have more privacy and will be somewhat hidden. Can I move the whole planter up or will it cause her to leave her babies?

Thanks so much for taking the time to read my post, I hope someone here can help me with this.

Groroses.

Featured Answer

bandjzmom

14 years ago

Carrie, Lisa gave good advice. I do not feel that moving it up is going to cause any trouble for the mama bird, and it will also provide her with more privacy. I have lots of 10 inch hanging baskets on my porch each summer, and birds always nest in them. I do continue to water my plants by attaching a clear vinyl drip pan that is made for the baskets to the basket and pouring the water into the drip pan. That way, the plant absorbs the water from below, and you do not flood the nest.~~Angie

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Comments (11)

lisa11310
14 years ago
You dont mention what kind of brid it is. Some are more tolerant than others. The laws state that you should not alter a native birds nest, but in your case you are not actually altering the nest. 15" will not make the Mom abandon her babies. It taks a LOT to make a Mother bird leave her babies. How old are the babies? If they are still tiny you may even consider adding fake folage little by little to protect them better. I have been an avid birdwatcher for 8 years and monitor nest boxes. The best advise I can give is to raise the planter at a time you can monitor to be sure the Mom accepts the new placement. If she has not come to feed the babies in more than an hour return it to where it was.
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Carrie_AZ
Original Author
14 years ago
The type of bird she is I believe is a regular sparrow as far as I know. The father has red on his chest and the mother is just a plain brown sparrow, I live in the Arizona desert in Lake Havasu City, Az. I failed to mention that the birds have not hatched yet they are still in there eggs. She laid the eggs last week. The egg laying started on the 8th she had one a day and has 3 now, so they were laid on the 8th, 9th and 10th. Adding the fake foilage is a good idea. I can monitor the nest very easily because it is right by the front door hanging on the wall and I have a glass front door.
bandjzmom, this is not a hanging basket(although I do have those hanging out front too),this is a wrought iron planter with a flat back that one puts the coco fibar in it and it hangs on the wall. I stopped watering it because it would of for sure flooded the nest and I did not want to do that so I let the flowers die and that is the problem, it put the nest right out in the open.
I think I will move it up and add some fake foilage (GREAT IDEA Lisa) I will then watch the nest from the inside at the front door.
I think I have a better chance of this working because the birds have not hatched yet.
I will keep you updated. I am relieved to know that she will not leave her eggs.
Thanks and if anyone else feels like chiming in I am all ears.
Thanks Again,
Carrie
critter0060
10 years ago
We have sparrows that have built nests in the back of our pontoon boat. We want to take it out on the lake!! Can I move the babies to a new bird house where the parents will follow???? Someone please help!! Husband is mad that an expensive boat is sitting there and I will not let him move it. :(
lisa11310
10 years ago
Do you know what kind of Sparrows? Is the nest in a cavity in the boat? I only ask this because if they are House Sparrows I would take the boat out and toss the nest in the water....If they are any other kind of Sparrow and there are eggs or babies I would put the nest in a nearby tree........
lisa11310
10 years ago
please go to www.sialis.org to see if they are House Sparrows....you don't want them...
Atlamol
10 years ago
last modified: 10 years ago
Sounds to me that your bird with a father "that has red on his chest" is a house finch, not a sparrow. So it's a native species, not an introduction like the house sparrow.
lisa11310
10 years ago
OH I didn't mean toss baby birds in the water no matter what they are....if they are already hatched find somewhere safe to place the nest.
lisa11310
10 years ago
OH I didn't mean toss baby birds in the water no matter what they are....if they are already hatched find somewhere safe to place the nest.
Julie Pragie
5 years ago
I have a question too for this group. I have flicker woodpeckers with babies living in my wood siding Of a house I just bought. I need to replace the siding because water is getting into my house and damaging my house. I’m willing To wait a couple weeks til the babies are flying but I need it fixed.

once the babies are flying can I buy a birdhouse and move their nest close by to a tree And not harm them? Thanks
Old Forester ( Zones 8a-6a ) Ga/NC
5 years ago
Once the young are flying, they have no need of the nest.