Mick LeMere
Member
Is it known for male Swallows to look after baby birds not his own?
I volunteer at a nature reserve in Norfolk which has a nest in the visitor centre. The male went missing for several weeks whilst the 5 eggs were still incubating. Another male then turned up and tried to court the mother who was understandably not responding to him. After a few days the eggs hatched and he was still there after her. 2 of the babies were thrown out of the nest, one survived and was replaced but later died anyway. This is why we are almost certain the male is not the original father.
A week after they hatched and he has started to feed and care for the young. He is reluctant to, often bringing in flies then eating them himself in front of them. But a few times he does feed them and takes out poo sacks.
I just wondered if this was something that was known before.
I volunteer at a nature reserve in Norfolk which has a nest in the visitor centre. The male went missing for several weeks whilst the 5 eggs were still incubating. Another male then turned up and tried to court the mother who was understandably not responding to him. After a few days the eggs hatched and he was still there after her. 2 of the babies were thrown out of the nest, one survived and was replaced but later died anyway. This is why we are almost certain the male is not the original father.
A week after they hatched and he has started to feed and care for the young. He is reluctant to, often bringing in flies then eating them himself in front of them. But a few times he does feed them and takes out poo sacks.
I just wondered if this was something that was known before.