Alright, this is a tad ridiculous but we’re trying to figure out if we can get a bird to move in where a previous bird lived.
Here’s the story: about 3 years ago at my brothers house a robin built a nest in the nook between a drain pipe and the house. It was right out side their living room window so they could watch her sitting on her eggs, feeding her babies, and whistling bird songs. It was pretty neat and they enjoyed her being there. They even named her Ronda. For 3 years in a row she would leave during winter and come back to the same nest in the spring.
About 3 weeks ago she disappeared. She had never been away from the nest more than a few hours. My sister-in-law is really upset, fearful Ronda was eaten by a cat.
My brother tried explaining to her that 3 years is actually pretty old for a robin and it could have just died naturally. But she’s still sad about Rondas absence.
So, believe it or not, he’s been trying to attract another bird to take up residence in the same location. he put some bird seed blocks in the nook and nest, but all other birds did was take it and leave.
Other than blue jays will birds set up in another birds nest? Should he remove the nest or is it better to leave it there? Is there any chance Ronda will return?
Is there any way to get another bird to build a nest in that exact location?
Robins don’t actually re-use nests from year to year. Doing so would encourage the buildup of parasites from eggs or larvae that survived from last year. What they may do if they have success at a particular site will be to build a new nest over the old one.
If you want a robin to re-nest there, it would be better to remove the nest. In fact, the presence of the old nest could inhibit a new female from nesting there. If it is a good site it will be re-occupied.
Some birds use nests previously constructed by themselves or others, so if the nest is reused it will probably be a different species and not a robin.
Anecdotal, but my mom had a robin nest on her porch rafter two years in a row. This year, a mourning dove decided it was quite a nice location, and took it for herself. A neighborhood cat somehow made his way up there and knocked the nest over, so my dad gathered what nesting materials he could and nestled them into a coffee can and nailed it up in the rafters so it couldn’t be knocked over again. Mourning dove never came back, but what do you know- there’s a robin nesting in it now.
My brother & his wife insist it was the same nest except 2 years ago it fell to the ground during the winter. Ronda built another in the exact same location and had been using the same one without any building over it that they could tell. (Also I learned tonight it was 4 years shes been around, not 3 like I stated in the OP).
Any idea if the bird might come back? Other than winter & death why would a robin stay away from her nest for so long? Paul hasn’t gone up on a ladder and checked if there are any eggs in there. I’m guessing if there are then the robin is dead. She wouldn’t abandon her eggs, would she?
So my sister-in-law informed me about 2 weeks ago that there is a robin in the nest, but she insists it’s not Ronda by the way the tail feathers look. I guess Robins will take up in the nest of others.
BTW, Robins are not seed eaters, so the seed block is a negative (attracting other species).
We have robin nests each year near our back patio. I have left earthworms, mealworms, and canned cat food on a table near the nest and they gorge that stuff right up.