Baby Blackbirds Disappearing

Question

There&rsquo;s a nest that I&rsquo;ve been watching with baby blackbirds in it. They seemed to be doing well and were about ten days old. This morning, I went out and noticed the nest was empty, but there was no sign of a struggle or any sort of predator getting them. Is it possible that the mother could have moved the babies? I saw the mother taking worms up to a different section of the yard this morning. I&rsquo;ve seen her take worms to the babies in the nest before, so I thought maybe she moved them. If not, what happened?

Linda257 · Accepted Answer

Hi Melissa , its impossible to say whats happened but here is some info on Young Blackbirds. Hope it helps. 
 
Blackbird young 
The normal clutch size is 3-5. Larger clutches are laid in woodland than in gardens. The female incubates alone, and the chicks hatch 13-14 days later. Only the female broods the chicks, but both parents feed them. Chicks in gardens are fed on earthworms when they are available; woodland chicks are fed mainly on caterpillars. 
 
The chicks are ready to fledge at 13-14 days, but if the nest is disturbed, they can leave and survive as early as nine days old. This ability to fledge early is an important anti-predator adaptation. The young birds creep and flutter from the nest, and remain in nearby cover for the following few days. 
 
They are flightless at first, but within a week will have learned to fly. By this time, they begin to experiment with foods, learning by trial and error what is edible. As their skills and confidence grow, they begin to explore their parents' territory and range more widely. The young become independent three weeks after leaving the nest, and leave the natal area shortly after. They are not driven away by the male. 
 
Fledged young are often left in the care of the male, while the female prepares for the next nesting attempt. The last brood of the season is usually divided between the parents, with each adult taking sole care of some of the young. 
 
There are considerable losses at the egg and chick stage, with at best 30-40 per cent of nests producing fledged young. Despite smaller clutch sizes, birds in towns fledge more chicks per nest than birds in the countryside.