I enjoyed a christmas present watching on TV my nest box camera. A pair of Great tits occupied the box and 8 eggs were laid. Only 2 flew the nest, 2 didn't hatch and the others were starved by the 2 greedy survivors. Is this poor parenting or is it fairly typical?
Barny Owl
Hi Barny - i would say that was fairly typical, but we'd obviously hope for more success....not all the eggs are always fertile (great tits typically lay between 7 and 9 eggs, and usually only one brood per season. The largest and strongest young will outcompete the weaker ones and the adults will always favour the strongest - they don't want to waste time and energy on weak or sick young, especially if there is a lack of food. In times of plenty you will see more survivors simply because there is more food to go round and competition is less....
Its a tough business to bring up young and to get them to adulthood, but this is normal in the world of birds - a pair of adult tits only need to raise 2 young in their lifetime (average around 2.6 years) to sustain the population numbers of the species. They do lose many young for various reasons including predation, poor weather, lack of food etc. They have it tough but that is one reason why they start with so many eggs - they can afford to lose a few.
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Many thanks for the answer. I have a lot to learn. Hopeless to ask if I could have helped - it was distressing to watch the inevitable as at least 4/5 were trying to feed but as you say were constantly overlooked.
ps I have cleaned out the box ready for next year. Could the same pair return? and is the whole size determnate of the breed that will occupy? I have blue tits in other boxes so I am thinking the hole here must be a little larger. Plus this box is on our house wall outside the TV room (obviously) and perhaps other breeds would be too shy to venture this close.
Thanks again
Hi Barny - in answer to your questions - it is possible the same pair will return, they usually return to defend and breed in their previous breeding territory, and yes, the entrance hole size does determine the species that will use the box (blue tits 25mm, great tits 28mm - other species vary still)
Also the direction the box is facing will affect its use - generally you want the box to face somewhere between noerth and east, to avoid direct sunlight and prevailing winds and rains.
You should find everything you need to know about nest boxes on the RSPB website here
Hi Barny Owl,
It is weird because the size of the clutch always seems to be
smaller when they are nesting in gardens rather than in the
countryside. It may have been the other 4 where over shadowed
by the 2 greedy ones.aaaaaaaaaaah :(
Best, Coal
Birding , Birding, Birding !
Well, this is interesting. We have turned on the web cam to find a solitary
Blue Tit roosting overnight. How will this resolve itself come early Spring?
Will the Great Tits return and oust the Blue Tit or will the Blue tits take over?
...........................watch this space