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Bluebird chicks and an interloper



Hi folks,

I'm new to posting to this list, but have been lurking for awhile. Thought
you all might be interested in the following:
We have a bluebird house in our suburban backyard.  Last year a pair of
bluebirds had two broods(?) in the Spring.  This year I was so happy they
returned.  The instructions that came with the house said to check the nest
every couple of days to count the eggs and make sure the chicks are healthy
with no blowflies, etc.  Looking at the nest and disturbing the chicks when
the adults are gone is apparently an okay thing to do.  Anyway, a few weeks
ago I noticed the adult bluebirds were back (same pair?) and taking nesting
material into the box.  A few days later I looked in and saw two perfect
baby blue eggs.  The next day there were three.  And a couple of days later
there were five eggs; four blue and one white with brown speckles, all about
the same size.  Hmmm.  The blue birds were still around, so I knew they
hadn't abandoned the nest.  I was tempted to take out the white and brown
egg, (clearly "one of these things is not like the others") but my partner
said I shouldn't be practicing "bluebird eugenics."  So I left it.

We went on vacation and returning last weekend I checked the nest.  Four
little, ugly, breathing chicks.  I tried to see if there was an egg still in
the nest, but didn't want to disturb the chicks too much.  Anyway, 3 of the
chicks look like bluebird chicks - wide yellow beaks, downy gray/blue
feathers.  The fourth is decidedly not, however.  It is uglier, in my
opinion, with more bare skin and a trace of white on the wings.  It's also
the most active of the chicks in the nest.  It's the only one with its mouth
open for food when I look in.  The adult bluebirds are still around.

So, any ideas what species this young interloper might be?  What songbird
would lay an egg for another bird to raise?

I'll take some digital photos of the nest and post them on the web.

Thanks,
Jenny Richards
Hillsborough, NC
jennyrichards@nc.rr.com