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malaise

(298,454 posts)
Fri May 22, 2026, 05:24 PM May 22

It's a bird's life - Federally protected bird's nest holds up sale of Ford truck in Kansas

I love this story

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/may/22/kansas-bird-nest-truck

A robin built a nest on a Ford-F-250’s tire and laid its eggs in it; a law prohibits removing it while inhabited by bird brood

A truck sold by a Kansas dealership cannot be taken from the lot by its new owner because a family of robins is living atop one of the vehicle’s tires.

The relatively novel situation has gained widespread attention after the dealership in the Kansas community of Olathe wrote about it on its Facebook page – and it perhaps taught many that active robin nests are protected by federal law from the US.

A few weeks earlier, employees at the Olathe Ford Lincoln dealership discovered a robin building a nest atop a tire of the truck in question. The bird laid four stunningly blue eggs over the next few days, the dealership wrote in a 14 May Facebook post.

The eggs hatched more recently, and the robin is caring for the baby birds, the dealership said.





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It's a bird's life - Federally protected bird's nest holds up sale of Ford truck in Kansas (Original Post) malaise May 22 OP
cancel the sale and get a truck somewhere else. win win nt msongs May 22 #1
Bad juju questionseverything May 22 #10
Don't worry, it won't be long jmowreader May 22 #2
Bet they'll get a ton of good press & business for this! CrispyQ May 22 #3
I learn something new here daily malaise May 22 #5
Great story! canetoad May 22 #4
Hi there malaise May 22 #6
The robin and its eggs fall under a 1918 US wildlife protection law known as the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. nt PufPuf23 May 22 #7
Thanks for this malaise May 22 #8
I am pleased to report that Canada is also part of that bird protection. Disaffected May 22 #9
Rec malaise May 22 #13
great publicity for the dealership Skittles May 22 #11
Fantastically wonderful story! Thank you to the dealership. Fla Dem May 22 #12
My condo painting was delayed for almost a month Totally Tunsie May 22 #14
Lovely malaise May 22 #15
Grapevine wreath ! So that's what that is ! My mom had some of those for a long time -- and yes we got robins ! eppur_se_muova May 23 #18
Nice to hear you had the same experience because it is a pleasant memory. Totally Tunsie May 23 #20
There are good & decent people. More than the bad me thinks. tazcat May 22 #16
K&R MustLoveBeagles May 22 #17
♥️K&R♥️ spanone May 23 #19

jmowreader

(53,449 posts)
2. Don't worry, it won't be long
Fri May 22, 2026, 05:30 PM
May 22

Robins leave the nest as fledglings about two weeks after hatching. I'm certain Olathe Ford Lincoln can give the purchaser a loaner car for a couple of weeks.

CrispyQ

(41,122 posts)
3. Bet they'll get a ton of good press & business for this!
Fri May 22, 2026, 05:32 PM
May 22


I collected feathers for years before I learned that you should leave almost all bird feathers on the ground. The reason is to avoid creating a feather trade, cuz humans would kill birds to extinction for money. Some Native American organizations are exempt & when I die my feathers will go to them.

https://www.fws.gov/law/migratory-bird-treaty-act-1918

https://www.fws.gov/media/list-birds-protected-migratory-bird-treaty-act-2023

PufPuf23

(9,974 posts)
7. The robin and its eggs fall under a 1918 US wildlife protection law known as the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. nt
Fri May 22, 2026, 05:43 PM
May 22

Disaffected

(6,620 posts)
9. I am pleased to report that Canada is also part of that bird protection.
Fri May 22, 2026, 06:26 PM
May 22

"The Migratory Bird Treaty or Convention is an environmental treaty between Canada and the United States. It was originally signed on 16 August 1916 by the United States and the United Kingdom (representing Canada), entered into force on 6 December 1916 and has since been amended several times."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Migratory_Bird_Treaty

Fla Dem

(27,809 posts)
12. Fantastically wonderful story! Thank you to the dealership.
Fri May 22, 2026, 08:17 PM
May 22

Last edited Sat May 23, 2026, 12:42 PM - Edit history (1)

Totally Tunsie

(12,092 posts)
14. My condo painting was delayed for almost a month
Fri May 22, 2026, 08:28 PM
May 22

due to the active robin's nest in the grapevine wreath next to my front door. It couldn't be moved until after the family moved on. I kept it intact and re-used the wreath "as improved" for several subsequent Springs. Each year, new occupants simply refreshed the existing nest. I like to think it was the former fledges returning to continue the tradition with their new family.

The decorative factor of the wreath was (IMO) greatly increased by their residence. It was worth using only the garage door for that time so as not to disturb mom and four babies. The condo association, however, wasn't pleased with the first year's delay!

eppur_se_muova

(42,647 posts)
18. Grapevine wreath ! So that's what that is ! My mom had some of those for a long time -- and yes we got robins !
Sat May 23, 2026, 04:47 PM
May 23

One of those is on our front porch and I got some pics of four or five nestlings (very awkward POV, trying not to fall off of a short stepladder on the stairway !) one year. I have a vague memory that there might have been a second occurrence, but it's fuzzy.

So much more pleasant an experience than when wasps did the same thing.

Totally Tunsie

(12,092 posts)
20. Nice to hear you had the same experience because it is a pleasant memory.
Sat May 23, 2026, 09:31 PM
May 23

I, too, was lucky enough to get some close-up photos, but I recall hearing the mother Robin screeching at me from a nearby tree as I got too close to her nest. It was the only time I tried because I didn't want to upset her, and I used the opportunity to place a small pillow on the porch floor under the nest in case any of the fledges took a tumble. She was always on watch whenever she left the nest.

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