Strange behaviour...

[dudette]

If there is anyone who knows a little more about birds and their behaviour I would be most grateful if you could help me clear up something.

Our house has a very large tree in the the front, where many birds rest during the day. Over the past week we've been finding dead baby chicks on our driveway, and at first I thought it was a bird of prey that had raided a nest and then dropped it by accident while flying overhead. The tree is now in leaf, so it is very difficult to see, but I haven't noticed any birds being especially busy making a nest overhead, so I wasn't convinced they had fallen from a nest in our tree. But since Wensday we have discovered 4 dead newborn chicks on our driveway. They are all unharmed, (not mangled or eaten), so it leads me to think they fell out of their nest. They seem to be from quite large birds possibly pigeons and I've noticed in the past that pigeons do not make the most ideal nests to keep a batch of eggs, never mind chicks!

The other thought is a cuckoo which will shove newborns out once they hatch, but a quick google search has led me to believe you don't find them in Europe...

Anyone any ideas what could be happening?

[gwasi]

I've asked around and two birds have come up - one is the magpie which will steal a nest to lay its eggs in if it means it doesn't have to build one, or Cuckoos - yes they are found here.
Either that or bird flu has come. :p

[Bushbaby]

Last year there was a virus that affected a large number of wild birds (especially the smaller birds such as blue tits and robins). This virus was fatal for something between 60 to 80% of hatchlings.

It might be that if you are finding so many undamaged chicks that it is this virus or another that has killed them.

[dudette]

Thank you, Gwasi and Bushbaby for your input ... there haven't been any more fatalities, and I assume this will be the end of it... one just feels such disappointment at the loss of these little birds, even though one knows nature can be cruel sometimes.
Oh well... a pair of blackbirds are making a nest in our baytree just outside our kitchen window.... hope they have more success