cow bird eggs

[chickadee]

I chased away a pair of cow birds five times today. Then came out to see one exiting the gourd. In 3 years iv never had a martin raise a cow bird baby . I have not been able to lower rack because their is always martins here. So don't know if it layed eggs? My birds have not had any eggs layed yet. They are nest building. Has anyone ever had martins raise a cow bird? Is their anything you can do? If theirs an egg in their should I leave it?

[Tony Lau]

Don't worry about doing nest checks while martins are there, they won't mind. Just don't do it in the morning, almost all eggs are laid in the morning. Remove any eggs that aren't martin eggs, cowbirds eggs are speckled.

[chickadee]

Thanks tony. This will be easy then. I did not realize they was speckled. I was thinking for some reason they was white. Now I don't need to worry when they go in.

[Matt@atx]

We had some cow birds show up last year and my step dad "410ed" one of them and other took off. Their eggs should be speckled and not white like Martin Eggs.

[Louise Chambers]

Brown-headed Cowbirds usually lay their eggs in open nests (many warblers, chipping or song sparrows, red-winged blackbirds, etc.) and rarely lay eggs in cavities, so bluebirds, martins, tree swallows, are usually safe. But checking nests weekly will help landlords keep an eye on things and know what's going on.

[Martin man RI]

I had a cow bird egg. The birds entered a Conley I and days later found a
egg. Which I smashed. Yes run them dam birds off! They cannot be trusted.