4 responses to “Another Phoebe Egg Has Been Laid In the Eastern Phoebe Nest, Along With A Cowbird Egg.”

1. jennifer frost says:

   May 15, 2018 at 10:24 pm

   Why aren’t you removing the cowbird egg so the phoebe’s can survive? The Cornell website advises that you can. I remove them whenever they are in my phoebe’s nest.

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   • Ava says:

     October 12, 2022 at 5:53 pm

     I’m just curious, where exactly does it advise that you can? Since it’s illegal to remove the eggs, you probably misread something.

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2. Holly Faulkner says:

   May 16, 2018 at 8:39 am

   Hi Jennifer,
   Because cowbirds are native to the U.S., they are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and in most instances it is unlawful to use lethal control without a permit, including the removal of their eggs from a nest. However, unpermitted control of cowbirds is occasionally permissible under special circumstances outlined in the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. We recommend contacting your local wildlife authorities if you have questions.
   -Holly Faulkner, Project Assistant

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3. Texas Bird Family says:

   July 24, 2022 at 5:10 pm

   It’s illegal and cruel to remove cowbird eggs. Don’t remove and destroy innocent birds.

   Reply