Expert: Roger Lederer - 7/24/2007

Question
QUESTION: There is an active nest in my backyard with chicks that are approx. 4-5 days old. Both the male and female have been very active at the nest site all day long every day for weeks. I started watching the nest early this morning. Both the male and female appear to be absent and have been for the last 4 hours. I hear the chicks begging and I have been watching female sparrows peeking in the box at them. Do you know if periods of absence from the nest like this are normal for house wrens?

ANSWER: It all depends on the weather, especially the temperature. If the temperature is moderate, it is not unusual for the parents to take a break in midday when insects are scarce. It also depends on how good the food supply is and how many chicks are in the nest.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you for your quick response. The temperature is quite comfortable today and there continues to be an excellent supply of food.  I haven't been close enough to the nest to look inside but it sounds like there may be 2-3 chicks total and they sound healthy. The parents have been missing for about 9 hours now. If they do not return by tomorrow morning, would it be safe to assume that the chicks have been abandoned?

Answer
They could have abandoned the nest, possibly. If you looked or approached the nest too often, you could, sad to say, be partly responsible. Or, predators could have gotten them. On the other hand, unless you are watching the nest all the time, you just might be missing their visits. Hard to say what's going on.