Expert: Roger Lederer - 5/18/2010

Question
We had a mockingbird nest near our garage in a tall bush.  The nest had 3 babies almost full grown, which the mother fed daily. I never saw the babies leave nest.  I am not sure if they could yet fly.  Suddenly, overnight, (this past Saturday) all babies were gone, never to return.  We did see more mockingbirds in our yard that day, but they looked to be mature adults.  By Monday (today), there is no sign of any mockingbirds in our yard, the mother or the babies.

My husband thinks they matured and all flew away.  I am hoping he is right.  I do not see any feathers or signs of an animal getting the birds.  However, it seems rare to me that I saw the birds daily in the nest, and now all of them gone.  In past experiences with robins, the hatchlings learn to fly over a period of a week or  two, but not all at once.

Based on your experience, any ideas on what might have happened to these birds?  Much thanks.

Answer
All songbirds, like Mockingbirds, stay about two weeks in the nest after hatching. Then they leave the nest BEFORE they can fly and spend another 10-14 days on the ground, being fed by the parents. They look somewhat like adults but their flight feathers are not as long. The hatchlings do not learn to fly. They become fledglings when they leave the nest and juveniles when they learn to fly. So everything seems very normal to me.