? about wild birds just out of curiosity

[gritsar]

We have a pair of birds nesting under our carport. Though the pair are frequently around - sitting on the fence or otherwise close by - we haven't been able to get close enough to identify them. Body shaped like scissor-tails, but without the long tail. Bigger than sparrows, but not as round looking; smaller than doves. Mama is grayish-brown.
Anyhow, the pair raised a clutch of five chicks. They fledged, hung around for a day and then were gone. We think they all made it. We didnt find any bodies and the dogs didn't drag any in.
Now the same pair or another pair are brooding another clutch. There's four eggs so far, yesterday there was only three.
So which is it? Same pair or another pair using a convenient nest? Do wild birds raise more than one clutch a year?

 

[1lpoock]

Could it be Barn Swallows?

The fledged young stay with, and are fed by, the parents for about a week after leaving the nest.

There are normally two broods, with the original nest being reused for the second brood and being repaired and reused in subsequent years.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
We've been suspecting swallows of some sort. We are encouraging them to stay - not parking the vehicles under the carport when they are nesting - because we want them to stick around and eat all the insects they want.

 

[1lpoock]

They are good at that...and scaring you while mowing grass! When I mow they all fly around the mower getting bugs, but they fly so fast straight towards you and turn at the last second!

 

[Ridgerunner]

I'm not going to try to guess which bird you have, other than it is a broody. If you could post a picture of the eggs and nest, it might help somebody who knows birds identify them.

Bluebirds are already on their second brood this year in some of my bluebird houses and they will probably raise a third brood, so yes, some wild birds raise more than one brood a year. Some don't.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
Yeah, the only dang broody on this farm! And she's good at it too!

 

[1lpoock]

Quote:
Yeah, the only dang broody on this farm! And she's good at it too!

Put some eggs in her nest

....correction: put one egg in her nest, that might not even fit

 

[Ridgerunner]

Quote:
And you think I'm bad? Wish I'd thought of that.

Well done, 1lpoock

 

[maple]

I was thinking a swallow too.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
And you think I'm bad? Wish I'd thought of that.

Well done, 1lpoock

Shame on you both! Actually I'd already thought of that.

The poor mama bird when she had those five babies in the nest. She'd try to sleep on the nest at night but couldn't really fit once they started growing. One night I walked by and saw her roosting next to the nest. She looked down at me and I said, don't blame me. I didn't tell you to pop out five!