Posted by Martha Perkins on May 1, 2006

Q: Hi,

My five-year-old niece and I have been watching a robin's nest that is located on a fencepost beneath my mailbox. The next is approximately seven inches from the ground.

The eggs have hatched in the last two or three days, and now there're three baby robins in the nest. Even though we live in the country, our road is fairly well-traveled, and I have wondered about moving the nest to a safer location (without touching the fledglings.) Can you advise?

Thanks,

Martha Perkins

Abingdon, VA

State: Virginia

Habitat: field/meadow

A: It's good to see you're eager to help the birds but I'd strongly encourage you not to move the nest. Moving the nest may cause enough stress in the parents for them to abandon their young. Although it is common "knowledge" that touching a nest or baby birds will cause the parents to abandon their young, this is not true. Moving the nest is quite a different story, however.

Your niece has a wonderful opportunity to see the growth of the babies and their fledging so I hope you can all continue to monitor the nest as things progress. Thanks for asking and good luck to you and your birds.

John Wiessinger ( May 1, 2006)