Birds in Tortoise Enclosures

[Itort]

I was wondering if other people have birds taking up residence in your outside enclosures. I have birds using water features as bird baths and even nesting. For example I have cardinals nesting in MEP's enclosure, catbirds in RF, Forstens, and Homes area also nesting, and a wren house in Boxies enclosure. The catbirds and wrens make great little guards.

 

[JoesMum]

The birds make regular use of Joe's water dishes in my garden too

 

[Jacqui]

I was wondering if other people have birds taking up residence in your outside enclosures. I have birds using water features as bird baths and even nesting. For example I have cardinals nesting in MEP's enclosure, catbirds in RF, Forstens, and Homes area also nesting, and a wren house in Boxies enclosure. The catbirds and wrens make great little guards.

Except when the wren takes the hatchling box turtle for supper.

 

[JoesMum]

Wrens in the USA must be MUCH bigger than ours.

The only things that need to fear wrens in Europe are bugs... and small ones at that!

This is a our wren: Wren It's one of our tiniest garden birds!

 

[Jacqui]

I enjoy watching the birds and have for years, but at times I am coming to realize I need to not allow them in all the enclosures. The comment I made to Larry about wrens being witnessed carrying off a hatchling box turtle is one of those. The bigger problem I have is this pair of birds, who build in an apple tree that is in one of my old four plex enclosures. They build their nest with scraps of trash plastic and it ends up falling and blowing into the four enclosures. I worry about the tortoises eating some and getting sick.

I know the robins watch for me to come out and water and do their worm hunting in the areas I choose that day to water. I do have a birdbath, wren houses, and a blue birdhouse out there for them. Overall to me, it's just another bonus of having my tortoise enclosures to fix them up so butterflies, frogs, toads, and birds also visit and make use of them. ... now if I could be like another member and have those hummingbirds build a nest for me to sit and watch.

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Wrens in the USA must be MUCH bigger than ours.

The only things that need to fear wrens in Europe are bugs... and small ones at that!

This is a our wren: Wren It's one of our tiniest garden birds!

To be honest, I never would have thought they could either. However I believe this member from another forum about actually witnessing the bird trying to do so. Fortunately the bird dropped the hatchling, as it tried to leave with it and he rescued it. It was actually how he knew he had a fresh clutch that had hatched.

Then again, I am also the one who never would have thought a praying mantis would hunt hummingbirds.

 

[Tom]

I have lots of visitors every day, scrounging up food, but no residents.

 

[Itort]

Never thought of wrens as threat to hatchlings. So in addition to screen fence around nest site, I'll cover it. My real concern is the crows and jays which wrens and catbirds harass away from area. Our house wren is a little larger (2 to 3 cm) then eurasian wren.

 

[JoesMum]

Now crows and jays I understand... they're predatory here too... although undoubtedly they don't look the same as the other side of the Atlantic.

Robins in Europe are not the same as your version... British people wince when watching an American Robin "feathering it's nest" in London in the American made "Mary Poppins" film of the 1960s! The USA Robin is more closely related to our Blackbird, and was named a Robin because early settlers were reminded of ours by its red breast.

You can tell I'm a secret birder can't you

 

[Itort]

Now crows and jays I understand... they're predatory here too... although undoubtedly they don't look the same as the other side of the Atlantic.

Robins in Europe are not the same as your version... British people wince when watching an American Robin "feathering it's nest" in London in the American made "Mary Poppins" film of the 1960s! The USA Robin is more closely related to our Blackbird, and was named a Robin because early settlers were reminded of ours by its red breast.

You can tell I'm a secret birder can't you

I caught that too.

 

[ascott]

We have house finch, house sparrows, song birds, those morning birds, quail, tri color blackbirds, hawks, falcons, owls and the lovely raven....all of these have or have had nests in the few mature trees around the house and the ravens even had an active nest in the tree in the neighbors yard....I have to say that the smartest, most ingenious one of all of these are the Ravens...very smart and some days very amusing to watch....you can see that they watch us which is what is most amusing...I watched one bring a hard dry piece of bread down to the water trough and dunk that in the water like folks dunk donuts in coffee....I watched two of them once, one was on the water faucet handle hopping while the other pounced up and down on the hose end...very amusing....I have had to set up a water trough away from the tortoise yards--the neighbor shoots the squirrels and then tosses the bodies into a part of his yard that joins part of my yard...so of course the ravens feast and clean up the bodies and then look for water to drink..well they thought it was convenient that there are large water flats filled in the tortoise yards...and began to go in them for water (absolute no no with me) so discovered if I provide a water trough for them they no longer went into the tortoise yards...so we co exist...however, when i put the juvenile and baby RFs out I have to have them in completely enclosed areas as of course I know that if given the opportunity any of the raptors and predatory birds would make a quick snack of them....

 

[Kigi]

What about housing tropical parrots in a greenhouse/outdoor enclosure? Creating an atrium atmosphere with plants/tortoises/birds...I see this done successfully in zoos.

 

[TortieLuver]

Wow Larry sounds like you have added some new additions to your family they are probably very much enjoying the way you care for your animals because it provides for them too

 

[lynnedit]

I don't know if anyone on this forum has a set up like that.
I guess the main concern is bird poop, tortoises walking on it, different germs?

However, we all obviously have smaller birds come and go in our enclosures, but they are not restricted to that area.

I suspect if it was huge, (like in Zoos), it might work.

Blue jays don't care about my torts. I am watching the crows carefully, but also have bird feeders and a small pond in a different area of the yard that they spend more time in. So far, no issue. But you never know.