So, a robin built several nests in my carport, but only laid eggs in one of them, the middle one in the photo. They hatched about nine days ago. As you can see, the mother is not roosting in the middle nest, but that’s still where her hatchlings are. You can’t see them in the photo, but I saw them moving around in there. Is this normal? Does the mother just need her space or is she confused somehow, perhaps by the repeating joists? Is that why she built multiple nests to begin with?

If there’s another community where you think people might know better, please suggest it.

Update: all is well, apparently.

  • CrimeDadOP
    4•1 year ago

    I can see your reply just fine, and the supernormal stimuli explanation mIakes sense. Also, I think I found my answer here:

    Q. Why has the mother stopped sitting on the nest at night?

    A. By the time the babies are about a week old, the nest is getting crowded, and the babies are capable of keeping themselves warm, all snuggled together. At this point the mother robin starts sleeping on a tree branch again.

    Like I said, the chicks are about nine days old, so the mother’s behavior appears to be normal. That’s a relief!