This looks like an entanglement to me. Sometimes birds bring materials to their nests that are entanglement hazards (e.g., fishing line, thread, etc.) and they end up getting tangled in it. I would suggest that this nest compartment be cleaned out and the nest material removed and thrown away (in the trash, not on the ground, particularly the offending material).
This is a good time to remind birders to always pick up loose fishing line, baling twine, or anything else that seems long, loopy and capable of getting wrapped around birds’ legs, necks, or wings. Ospreys and others are occasionally seen putting such materials in their nests, as well as small birds like sparrows, so think about scale when picking up these items (could it entangle an Osprey? A swallow?). Last I checked, you can return spent fishing line to Dick’s Sporting Goods, and there are receptacles for it at Salt Point and a few other locations I’m not remembering). Best, Robyn Bailey From: bounce-127380944-15067...@list.cornell.edu <bounce-127380944-15067...@list.cornell.edu> On Behalf Of Ingrid Bessette-Center Sent: Thursday, April 27, 2023 6:30 PM To: CAYUGABIRDS-L <cayugabird...@list.cornell.edu> Subject: [cayugabirds-l] Fwd: Mystery fatality on Purple Martin House ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Ingrid Bessette-Center <silkyha...@gmail.com<mailto:silkyha...@gmail.com>> Date: Thu, Apr 27, 2023 at 6:24 PM Subject: To: Ingrid Bessette-Center <silkyha...@gmail.com<mailto:silkyha...@gmail.com>> Can anyone educate me on what has happened here ? The Martin house is occupied by swallows.The bird is a sparrow. Sending another view. Thanks . Ingrid Sent from my iPhone -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: Welcome and Basics<http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME> Rules and Information<http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES> Subscribe, Configuration and Leave<http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm> Archives: The Mail Archive<http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html> Surfbirds<http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds> BirdingOnThe.Net<http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html> Please submit your observations to eBird<http://ebird.org/content/ebird/>! -- -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
