What to do about a bird building a nest in my flowerpot?

a few days ago i put a hanging flower pot with a plant in it and have noticed a bird building a nest in it today,i dont want to disturd the bird but what do i do about watering my plant?serouis answers only please...thanks

What to do about a bird building a nest in my flowerpot?
As long as the bird has not yet started laying eggs, you can move or destroy the nest. If there is even one egg present, you need to leave it alone. In the US, all native migratory birds are protected under federal law (Migratory Bird Treaty Act). It is illegal to disturb an active nest. Penalties for violating this law include fines of up to $500 and/or up to 6 months in jail for each offense.



If eggs are present, try to water the plant at times when the mother bird is absent, when she goes to get food for herself.



If eggs are present, about two weeks after they hatch, you will have fledglings on the ground.



Baby birds fledge (leave the nest) several days before they start to fly. They hop around on the ground, and they climb on low branches until their wings are strong enough for them to fly. The parent birds continue to feed and care for the fledglings until they are self-sufficient. If you see a baby bird on the ground, and the bird has most of his feathers, leave him alone. Do not think that he needs to be "rescued."



If you see a baby bird on the ground, and the baby is naked or he has mostly fuzz, he is a nestling and is not ready to fledge. Try to put him back in the nest. Do not worry about your scent being on him. It won't bother the mother. Birds do not have an acute sense of smell, and the parents will not detect your scent on the baby.



Wildlife biologists take baby peregrine falcons out of the nest to test them and band them, and they handle them with their bare hands. When they put the babies back in the nest, mom never rejects them. You can see photos here: http://www.wbu.com/chipperwoods/photos/p...



If you can not get the nestling back into his own nest, hang a basket (like an easter basket) on a tree limb as close to the nest as you can reach. Place paper towel in the bottom of the basket, and put some grass and leaves in with the baby bird. The parents find their babies by sound, not by sight or smell, so as long as they can hear the baby, they will come and feed him. Placing it on a high limb will keep cats and other predators from getting it, as they would if you left it on the ground.



If you find a baby bird on the ground, and it seem to have been injured by the fall - or if you find an injured adult bird - contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. You should be able to find one here: http://www.tc.umn.edu/~devo0028/contact.... or here: http://www.wildliferehabber.org/



Licensed wildlife rehabilitators have the specialized training to care for sick, injured and orphaned wild animals, and they have the required state and federal licenses that allow them to keep the wild animals until they are healthy enough to be released.



Do not take the animal to a vet - vets are for pets, and most vets do not have the expertise to care for wild animals; nor do most vets have the proper licenses that would allow them to keep a recuperating wild animal.



Do not attempt to keep a wild bird and care for it yourself. In the US, all native migratory birds are protected under federal law (Migratory Bird Treaty Act), and it is illegal to keep any protected bird unless you have the required permits. Penalties for violating this law include fines of up to $500 and/or up to 6 months in jail for each offense. The only birds not protected by this law are feral pigeons, English House Sparrows and European Starlings.



While preparing an injured bird to go to the rehabber, place him in a small box lined with paper towel - not cloth, as the bird's nails could get caught in the material. Cover the box and place it in a warm, dark, quiet area. Do not allow any animals, children or excitable adults near it. Do not attempt to feed the bird - if you do not know what species it is, you don't know what to feed it, and an inexperienced person can kill a bird attempting to feed it. Do not attempt to give it any water - it could aspirate and die. Get it to a rehabber as quickly as possible, within 4-6 hours if possible.



Hope some of this information has helped.
Reply:Well, be extremely careful, whatever you do. Little guy is just looking for trouble, hehe.



Get a step ladder so that when you water you can see what you're doing and carefully, with a watering can with a long, narrow spout pour some water in the soil. Make sure the birdie isn't in his nest.. That's just my idea. I'm curious to see what other ideas there will be.



Good luck!
Reply:Is there a way to slide a saucer under the bottom of the pot and inside of the hanger? This way, you could water from the bottom and not bother the nest :)
Reply:That's funny because I have had the same thing happen to me. I didn't water mine today as I was also trying to figure out what to do. It is a little Finch nest with 4 eggs inside it.
Reply:let it be :)