[Tweeters] Nest box question

[HAL MICHAEL]

Lots of possibilities.  Simply death from the cold, Avian flu, or other disease is a possibility.  Another could be attack from another species like House Sparrow. They are notorious for it.  Other less likely possibilities, since it wasn't eaten, would be rodents or other mammals.

Hal Michael
Board of Directors, Ecologists Without Borders http://ecowb.org/
Olympia WA
360-459-4005
360-791-7702 (C)
ucd880 at comcast.net




>     On 02/15/2023 2:24 PM Marcy D'Addio <marcydaddio89 at gmail.com> wrote:

> 

> 

>     My husband found a dead Chestnut-backed Chickadee in a nestbox on a tree in our backyard. Both the bird and the nest material appear fresh, not what I would expect if last year's nest. We had been observing nesting activity by 2 Chestnut-backed Chickadees. We thought it was early and checked out the box. He found grass, green moss, animal fur, and cotton from the hummingbird ball in the nest, box is not damaged.. Bird has no signs of trauma, is dessicated, eyes missing.

>     Questions

>     What could cause this? Could it be Avian flu? How should we clean the box? Should we report or send for testing? 

>     Marcy D'Addio

>     Redmond, WA

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