Reptile & Amphibian Forums

We have a wonderful backyard, full of bird friendly places. Lots of berry bearing shrubs, flowers hummingbirds love, trees and a small pond for birds to drink from and bath in. We have a waterfall that spills into a very shallow pool that they streams down into the regular pond. The birds have LOVED to bathe in the shallow pool and have done so for five years.

Nothing has changed in the yard or pond. No pesticides, fertilizers, weedkillers, nothing placed in the pond. The past month I've found dead baby birds in the pond. These babies are much too small to be on their own. No way could they have gotten into the pond themselves. They have no feathers, but are good size. I have no idea what kind of babies they are, but it is getting very frustrating that I'm finding these babies.

Could anyone give me any thoughts as to what can be going on? It's breaking my heart.

Min

Several things come to mind.

Trees over hanging the area of the pond - babies can easily be startled or knocked out of the nest and fall into the water....storms, winds, etc.

Cats will raid nests (scaring the babies out or pulling them out and playing with them). Raccoons and possums could also be culprits in this same manner (though they are better known for eating their food not playing with it like cats)... raccoons do have a documented habit of 'washing' their food in water when they have the option open to them.

Other birds (such as cowbirds) that are notorious for kicking out eggs/baby birds from another birds nest and then lay their own eggs in it and have those parent birds hatch and raise their young for them.

A ground nesting bird without feathers would not likely leave a nest on its own... if it were feathered fledglings on the ground I could see the possibility of them getting/jumping into the water and drowning after not being able to get back out.

All in all without having some type of surveilance setup to see exactly what is happening as it is happening, the source of the dead birds is not likely to be solved 100%
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Wyvern

Thank you for the answer. I'd have to suspect the cowbirds now that you mention them. We have alot of cowbirds and I know they are nasty birds. We don't have any trees that overhang the pond and they birds rarely nest in the bushes around the pond.