eNature: Ask an Expert

Ask an Expert

Bluebirds/Starlings

We had a nest of four baby bluebirds in a bluebird house that was located close to our house. The parents kept feeding them until the other day when two starlings started bothering the birdhouse. One starling actually stuck his head in the birdhouse and pulled one of the baby birds out. After that, the parent bluebirds abandoned the other baby birds. After a couple of days, they died. Is this normal? Is there anything that we can do so that this does not happen again? This has really upset us because we have always had bluebirds nesting in our birdhouse every year .

There is a predator guard that can be attached to the entrance hole of the bluebird house that will keep starlings and other predators from pulling out young from inside. The guards are available at local bird stores, and other places where bird supplies are sold.