Help! Baby wrens

What I think is a Carolina wren made a nest in a box on my porch. I'm not sure if momma has abandoned the new babies because I haven't seen her on the nest at night for a night or two. Do they forage for food at night? I thought that birds slept at night. I'm just concerned about them surviving. I hope someone can help.

Erin

Is she still feeding during the day? If so, do not worry.

Once the nestlings get past a certain stage, they no longer need the parent to sit on them for warmth. She is nearby.

Thanks for the reply. I *think* she is still feeding them. I hope she's still feeding them. I just don't see her anymore. She's not on the nest again tonight. I think we saw her today near the back of our porch, but I don't want to investigate too much and frighten her. How long would they last if she had abandoned them? They hatched on the 16th. So, they aren't that old, almost a week.

Erin

People monitor nesting boxes and Carolina Wrens are one of those birds that will nest in boxes. Once the eggs are hatched, it would take a lot for the parents to abandon the nests. Go ahead and look in on them. Some birds are pretty resilient, especially those that nest in our yards. They have gotten used to human activity, so do not be afraid to go check it out.

One thing I read recently about many birds is they become more illusive after the eggs hatch; they do not want to give away that there is a nest nearby.

Also, I learned the parent birds are very good about regulating the temperature of their eggs and babies' body temps when needed. If it is overly warm outside, they do not need to sit on eggs/young as much as if it were cooler.

If you do see that anything looks to be wrong, contact a local bird rehabber. Today, if possible because if you need to call a gov't entity, they are closed on weekends.

Here is a link to a list in Florida.
http://www.hotfrog.com/Products/Songbirds/FL

How are your little birds by now?

Well, they left the nest yesterday. I only saw two out of the four. So, I don't know if the two were in the back of the others or if they perished. My son snapped a picture of them before they left the porch completely. We've seen one on the porch still, but not the other. Momma has been close by as well.

Erin

This message was edited Aug 29, 2013 11:44 PM