What if You Have to Move a Bird's Nest With Babies in It?

Some people are lucky enough to have wild birds nesting nearby their homes. It means that the birds feel safe enough to raise their babies in that particular location. If you happen to be painting your home or planning heavy construction and need to move a bird's nest with babies in it, think again before touching it.

  1. Nests

    • Different species of birds create different kinds of nests. According to the St. Louis Wild Bird Center, woodpeckers and owls use tree cavities or poke holes into structures for nests. Robins use twigs and other debris in trees and other birds burrow nest tunnels in mud. Building nests is instinctive to birds, and it has been found that birds kept in captivity still build nests. The nest houses the bird's eggs which hatch into babies.

    Babies

    • Most birds do not begin sitting on their eggs for incubation until all the eggs have been laid. Different species have varying incubation times. Incubation is the time when birds sit on their eggs to maintain their temperature for hatching. According to Cornell University, Canadian geese incubate their eggs for 25 to 28 days, while blue jays sit on their eggs for 17 to 18 days. Once they are hatched, the babies need to be fed and taken care of by their parents. The babies are then fledged at varying times. This is when the babies learn to become independent and fly or swim on their own.

    Moving

    • If you find a nest near your home in a tree or inside the eaves of your house, it is best not to have any contact with the nest. According to Cornell University, moving a nest risks the babies' lives. The parents may reject the nest if it is moved and the babies will become orphaned. In addition, birds are particularly sensitive during breeding season and parents may become aggressive to anything they think are predators towards their young.

    Migratory Bird Treaty Act

    • Depending on the species, it may be illegal to touch or move a wild bird's nest. According to the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 by the U.S. government, carrying or moving any wild migratory bird's nest is a federal offense. By moving a nest, you are interrupting migratory patterns of the bird. Possession of a wild bird or its nest and eggs is against the law. The fines are up to $200,000 with possible jail time. If you must work on your home, it is best to wait a few weeks for the babies to become fully fledged. The parents and their young will no longer need the nest. You will be protecting a wild bird family and preventing yourself from going to jail.