Posted on 30/06/2016 16:46
Is it normal behaviour for Blackbirds to scrag the nests of House Sparrows, drag out the eggs and eat them? That was a few weeks ago. I have just chased off a Blackbird that appeared to be trying to get at the young of other sparow's in different nests in the same hedge. I have never sen this behaviour before.
I posted this on another forum but no one seemed to know the answer.
Posted on 07/07/2016 15:40
Thanks for your input Wherenext.
No, the Sparrows are in the front garden and built their own nests in a very large spikey bush. The Blackbirds are more established in a big leylandi hedge at the back. For some years they seemed to just go about their own business and it's ben a joy to watch them pair up and do what birds do. The sparrows seem to like to do it on full view!
I was horrified to see sparrow eggs on my lawn broken. I assumed a crow or Magpie had got into the bush somehow then I watched a Blackbird hop under the bush and climb inside coming out with an egg. All the sparrows were going beserk which is what made me notice (actually I thought there was a cat about).
Now I am watching several male Blackbirds harrassing the sparrows and trying to break into the bush to get at their young. It really is beginning to freak me out!
Hi Fysherman,
Perhaps we could help? I've discussed this with a number of my colleagues and the consensus is that this is not normal blackbird behaviour.
It does however, sound very much like it could be a flock of jackdaw. To quote from the RSPB bird handbook, jackdaws "Eats insects and other invertebrates, grain, seeds, fruits & berries, eggs and young birds." Jackdaws aren't much bigger than a blackbird and could easily be confused, they also tend to flock in groups, something which blackbirds explicitly haven't been observed doing (they tend to pair, but that's about it).
Do any of the birds you've seen have orange coloured beaks? A jackdaw wouldn't, but a blackbird would have. Jackdaw's also tend to have a greyish hood.
I'm told that the sort of behaviour you describe is quite common amongst jackdaws in urban areas.
Posted on 07/07/2016 17:13
Hi thanks for the reply.
It was a Blackbird. I watched it gobsmacked. I am a countryman and even had a rookery in the trees in my parents garden that also had Jackdaws so I know something about crows.
That is what concerned me, was I witnessing something new in thisbehaviour? It seems so.
Itjust seems so wrong for Blackbirds to do this.
Sorryfor the typos I am doing this on a smartphone and I have fat fingers
Fysherman