I have a bluetits nesting in o e of my camera boxes. She started with 7 eggs, 6 hatched but 4 had dies over the last few weeks. Last night there was 2 left but today only one has survived so far. The chick that died since last night I'd been eaten by the mother, ive never witnessed this before. Is this normal behaviour?.
I hadn't heard of a Blue Tit doing this but googled and found a video from 2019 showing just that, here is a link but it is gruesome ... youtu.be/5y-s1aPIv6Y
2013 photos & vids here
eff37 on Flickr
ive had bluetits in that box for the last 3 years and never witnessed that. I suppose it's meat not to be wasted.
One way of looking at it, maybe natural food in very short supply?? Really not sure about this!