Barn Swallow abandoned nest?

We had 4 baby birds in a nest where they raised 4 babies earlier in the year. I'm assuming it's the same parents.

As I posted before, we've been losing babies. We find them on the ground below. Yesterday the 3rd one was found and today I see just one by itself. I haven't noticed the parents much today. They're not roosting there tonight which is normally what they do. Is it possible they have abandoned this last baby? I feel so bad for the little guy. I know this is nature. . .but I wish there was something I could do. I hate to see him just starve to death.

He has some feathers but is definitely too little to fly. If he tries to get down he'll dye like the other three.

Why does this sort of thing happen? Is it possibly because it's just so hot here right now? Should I try to do anything to help?

Hi mom, There might any number of reasons why they abandoned the nest.

You might check here for a rehabber.
http://www.southeasternoutdoors.com/rehab_usa.html

He is on the ground this morning. Should I put him back up? I left a message for a rehabilitator. He can't fly. . . and on the ground the ants will eat him up. I put him in a little box out there but the parents aren't feeding him yet. Since they were gone all night I don't know that they'll feed him at all.

While I'm waiting for the rehabilitator should I try and get some meal worms?

On that same link should be ways to feed baby birds.

Wow pelle. I never knew that site existed. What a great resource for people like mommacude who need help.

Hi mommacude - Hopefully a rehabber has already taken the bird to care for it. I volunteer at a wildlife hospital. What Messinger Woods Wildlife Hospital tells people is put the bird in a small box like a shoe box with a lid. You can punch a couple holes in the lid. If you have a small pint-sized berry container, put a bunch of tissues in it to make a nest. Don't try to feed the bird as you can harm him if you don't know what to feed him. Do not give water, he will drown. Babies get moisture from their food.

Poor little thing is dead. . . I'm sure it was internal injuries from the fall. At least we tried. I had placed him back in the nest because the parents were back. However, after a few hours when I didn't see him looking out over the top, I checked on him, and he was cold and stiff. I took him from the nest so that it wouldn't get infested with maggots or whatever. . .

I guess I'll have to wait until next year to see more babies fledge. I'm guessing they won't lay any more eggs this season.

Thanks for the info guys!

There's time for another brood yet, I've known swallows to fledge young as late as early October, and that's up here at 55°N latitude.

Resin

We'll see!! It's around 100degrees F here right now so my worry is it's just too hot. I would love to see them raise another brood, but obviously not if they all end up dying :o(

That is so sad ...and one has to wonder what the heck was going on....

Can you cover the porch roof with metal foil or similar to reflect most of the sunlight off?

Resin

I don't think our home owner's association or my husband would allow that. Also, since the area is three sides brick, I'm not sure that would do it. . .

Momma - I've had a similar thing happen north of Houston at our lake house. Your likely culprit was a house sparrow attack. If you want to dmail me, I'll tell you my own experience. This year we have had one nest to fledge safely! They are native to the US, are truly beautiful birds and they eat a gazillion times their weight in mosquitoes. Thus, I protect them.

Yesterday a pair is building another nest right next to the one that was abandoned. I don't know if it's the same pair or a different pair. Seems awfully late to be building a new nest but I'm curious to see what will happen.

I love my barn swallows. I love watching them fly, I love their little chatter. . . it would be really cool to have two pairs.

I had bought some meal worms to try and help out, and ended up leaving them on my mailbox for whomever wanted them. By the end of the day they were all gone and I took the plate off. . . then I noticed these two mockingbirds walking all around the mailbox looking over the sides for more. :)

Not too late at all for Swallows to be nesting, they can raise three broods in a summer easily.

Those Mockingbirds will expect you to obey their hints, now!!

Resin

I love them, too! When they return in the spring, it makes me so happy. How awesome that another nest is being built.
Good luck! Let us know what happens.

You know, sometimes a pair is just not parent material. I am speaking from experience with sugar gliders, but I'm sure it's the same with all animals and birds alike. With gliders, sometimes the mom is not able to handle the stress of motherhood and winds up killing the babies, or sometimes there may be something wrong with the babies genetically that we can't see but the gliders can sense and so they don't raise them to adulthood. When this happens on more than one set of babies, responsible breeders will neuter the male of the pair so they can live out their lives together, but without babies. Of course in the wild, that can't be done. Perhaps the swallows know something we don't know about the babies.

Do you see HOSP's (house sparrows) around? If so, I agree they could be the culprit. Were any of the babies mutilated or were they all just dead but intact?

The babies were just on the ground as if they jumped or were pushed out. They were in perfect shape (except the one I found later on in the day that the ants had started to eat)

We used to raise rabbits, and we had one mother that would always kill her babies too. My mother was able to rescue one of the babies once and hand raised it and we ended up having it in our house like a cat or dog. That was so fun as a kid. :o)

It sure does take awhile for them to build a nest, doesn't it? I'm still seeing 3-4 birds hanging around. The thing is I don't have a peep-hole in my door and once I go out there they stop. If I try to peek, the cats try to peek with me, and for some reason, they don't like that ((((grins)))). It is very interesting to hear their voices change once a cat nose appears in the crack in the door. Wow. . . what a fuss!

I'll keep y'all posted. I'm hoping for more babies. :o)

I just noticed something this morning (actually my hubby noticed).

Along with the new nest being built, someone is building up the old nest that the babies fell out uf. There is about an extra 2 inches of new mud and grass there. I wonder if they felt it was too shallow?