tree swallows!!!!!! are taking over

[keith richter]

hi, i am having a little trouble here at my house. tree swallows are taking over is their a nest box for them!!!!!!!!!! they are eating my blue bird eggs in my bluebird boxes!!!!!!! please help!!!!
thanks,keith : :king:

[Katy Penland]

Keith, since you're asking about nestboxes for so many different species, you might want to google "nestboxes for _________". There are loads of sites on the 'net that have nestbox construction information.

BTW, Tree Swallows don't eat robins' eggs. They're insect eaters and feed on the wing, but will also eat seeds and berries to survive. Sounds like your squirrel or other predator could be at fault.

[Isurus]

Keith, since you're asking about nestboxes for so many different species, you might want to google "nestboxes for _________". There are loads of sites on the 'net that have nestbox construction information.

BTW, Tree Swallows don't eat robins' eggs. They're insect eaters and feed on the wing, but will also eat seeds and berries to survive. Sounds like your squirrel or other predator could be at fault.

since the question of nestbox size/hole size/style comes up so often is it worth a sticky thread here where people post links to good design/hole size info online?

[keith richter]

katy, they are blue bird eggs. in my blue bird box. tree swallows come and hang on the hole of the box and break the eggs. ,keith,

[Katy Penland]

katy, they are blue bird eggs. in my blue bird box. tree swallows come and hang on the hole of the box and break the eggs. ,keith,My apologies, Keith, I totally spaced on the species under discussion in this thread and had robins on the mind. Still, what you're seeing is nestbox competition, and the swallows were destroying, not eating, the bluebird eggs.

Here is an interesting discussion of how to solve the competition problem between these two species. It seems they can be compatible if the circumstances are right:

http://www.nabluebirdsociety.org/media.nabluebirdsociety.org/Sialia/berner3.htm

[Katy Penland]

since the question of nestbox size/hole size/style comes up so often is it worth a sticky thread here where people post links to good design/hole size info online?Think that's a great idea, Isurus. I've since found a great site for North American birds:
http://www.birdnature.com/nestbox.html

And if you have one for Europe/UK, and if other members from other parts of the world have similar info, I'll add it to the sticky. :t:

[Isurus]

This was one of the more comprehensive ones I've found Katy: http://www.cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk/nature/birds/birdbox.htm