You are here:
- Home
- Recreation/Outdoors
- Birding/Wild Birds
- Birding
- Moving a Cardinal Nest with eggs
Birding/Moving a Cardinal Nest with eggs
Advertisement
Question
Hi:
I always have cardinals and babies in my yard. I just heard a lot of clattering out my front window and figured something was wrong. Sure enough, a snake was trying to get in the next and the mother Cardinal was distraught. I chased off the snake. Snake came back. I chased off the snake again and the mother Cardinal is back in the next. I know the snake will eventually win if the nest stays in this low shrub. Is it okay for me to move the nest to a nearby tree? Please help! Thank you!
The only answer I can give you is maybe. Disturbing the nest and moving it may be so stressful that it would cause the mother to abandon the nest. But maybe not. The best solution would be to put some sort of barrier around the shrub so the snake cannot get in. Or remove the snake (please don't harm it -it's just trying to make a living too). But if the nest is only moved a few feet, the mother might accept the move.There is no way to know for sure. Thanks for your concern. Roger Lederer
- Add to this Answer
- Ask a Question
| Rating(1-10) | Knowledgeability = 10 | Clarity of Response = 10 | Politeness = 10 |
| Comment | Thank you SO SO much. I can assure you I will not harm the snake -- my yard is full of wildlife and I appreciate all of them. The snake is gone for now -- I'm not sure a barrier would work in a viburnum bush, but I'll investigate. Mom is on the nest now -- no snake in sight. | ||
Related Articles
Answers by Expert:
Roger Lederer
Expertise
Any and all about WILD birds - the science of ornithology. Information about birdwatching, ecology, conservation, migration, behavior, banding, rehabilitation, feeding, songs, binoculars, identification, and careers in ornithology. No questions about pet or caged birds, please.
Experience
Have a PhD and over forty years as a professional ornithologist - research, teaching, author, speaker, webmaster of Ornithology.com . Have written thirty scientific papers, three bird field guides, a textbook in ecology and two recent books entitled "Amazing Birds" and "Birds of New England". Have traveled to over 90 countries watching birds.
Education/Credentials
PhD in Zoology/Ornithology; Emeritus Professor of Biological Sciences; former Dean of the College of Natural Sciences at California State University, Chico
©2012 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.