I put a bird box up outside my window, within days a pair of Asian Magpies started nesting in it, within about a week there were chicks in there, then a day or two later they were gone.

We recently acquired a Tukkae gecko in our roof, I was quite happy with it there as it doesn't bother me, until now.

It's obvious where the chicks went, there are no other plausible possibilities.

So, my thoughts are if I hang the bird box by a length of wire longer than the stretch of a Tukkae, will that be enough to prevent the Tukkae being able to get to the box? Will any future chicks be spared from being eaten alive?

If you hang the bird box on a wire ,it will move about too much

and i doubt the birds will nest in it,also it could have been a snake

,those Golden tree snakes eat chicks and can get anywhere too.

maybe thick stiff wire ?

 

regards Worgeordie

8 minutes ago, worgeordie said:

If you hang the bird box on a wire ,it will move about too much

and i doubt the birds will nest in it,also it could have been a snake

,those Golden tree snakes eat chicks and can get anywhere too.

maybe thick stiff wire ?

 

regards Worgeordie

 

There is a chance it was a snake, but I've never seen a snake up here on my 1st floor balcony before.

This is the reason for my suspicion;

 

But anyhow, the bird box was only hanging on a hook before, and was swinging around in the wind most of the time, it didn't seem to put the magpies off.

So would a tukkae try to scale down a single wire to get food? I'm thinking it's possible, if they're hungry enough...

Part of me is thinking of putting the bird box away to prevent any future heartbreak.

21 hours ago, worgeordie said:

maybe thick stiff wire ?

 

regards Worgeordie

 

I've hung it up again, this time with at least 50cm clearance from any sturdy surface, in the knowledge that a Tukkae won't be able to stretch over to it, I'm also hoping they're not keen jumpers...

Now all that's left is to get some grease on the wire and keep my fingers and toes crossed! And of course entice some nesting birds into it again!