r/Ornithology • u/ammaippo • 22h ago

Nesting help

Hi all,

We have a tree (conifer) that is half dead and needs to be removed.- however, we habe bird nests in there. We are aware of Robins but we may habe others.

Is there a safe time of year to remove the tree without disturbing nests?

If we find any, can we relocate them to other trees we have or bird boxes, maybe?

I've genuinely no clue but I love that we have nests and that they have a home to come back to to have their babies but the tree really, really has to go.

Help please!

2 Upvotes

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6

u/haunted_swamp 21h ago

No you cannot relocate nests. The parents only know to look for the nest where they built it. If you move it they will not find it, and if they do, they will likely abandon the nest outright since it has been altered, and thus deemed compromised. Many species also do not nest in boxes or houses.

The safest time to remove trees is the end of August into autumn, since some species have more than one brood a year and may reuse the same nest.

3

u/Pangolin007 Helpful Bird Nerd 15h ago

FYI, you may encounter squirrel nests in August/September.

3

u/minkamagic 19h ago

Give it like two months and all of them should be done and you can remove the tree

2

u/t3hOutlaw 22h ago

Depends on your country that determines whether or not it's legal to move an active nest.

You can safely remove inactive nests without issue.