This is one of the more common and frustrating calls we receive: I found an egg and Im going to hatch it!
This usually happens when someone finds an egg on the ground and determines often incorrectly that it fell or blew out of a nest. Taking an egg out of nature and trying to raise it as a DIY project is never acceptable.
Many native wild birds naturally on the ground, including plovers, turkeys, geese, quail, grouse, terns, juncos, meadowlarks, sandpipers, and hermit thrushes. When a well-meaning person finds their eggs on the ground and kidnaps them, the parents will lose the unborn baby they have worked so hard to prepare for, and they may not be able to try again until next year.
Occasionally, you might actually find an egg on the ground that doesnt belong there, but its almost never safe to make an assumption. Eggs are very hard to distinguish by appearance and its far too easy to make a mistake. A tree-nesting birds egg that has actually made its way to the ground is also probably no longer viable. The parents may have rejected it intentionally because the egg wasnt fertilized, but if it fell out by accident, the embryo inside would almost certainly die in the process.
In the very unlikely event that an egg on the ground actually is viable and actually shouldnt be on the ground, DIY hatching still isnt an option. It is illegal to possess the eggs of any native bird, and the process of correctly incubating a wild birds egg is very delicate and easy to mess up. Even with the best incubators and equipment, a developing egg can easily be killed.
Should you decide to commit a crime and keep the egg, and should the egg youre trying to incubate actually hatch, what then? A newly hatched songbird needs to be fed every fifteen minutes from the moment the sun rises until the moment it sets. Will you be available to provide this care? Do you have access to the thousands of live insects you will need to feed the bird, and do you have training to feed it safely? Do you have all the appropriate caging, from an artificial nest in an incubator to a long-term, fully furnished outdoor aviary? Do you have access to a veterinarian who would provide emergency care for a bird that is illegally in your possession? Unfortunately, caring for a baby bird is far, far more challenging than many people assume, so it is easy to get in far over your head.
We dont say all of this to make anyone feel ashamed of their desire to help an egg found on the ground. Its wonderful to care and to have a childlike wonder at the beauty of the world around us. However, its important to be aware of how unrealistic and harmful it is to take birds eggs from the wild.
If you found an egg on the ground, the only kind and correct thing to do is leave it alone.
Is the Found Bird Egg Really Abandoned?
If you find a nest containing eggs, make sure they have been abandoned.
Many birds wait to start incubating until almost all of the eggs have been laid.
Each day, the majority of songbirds lay one egg, usually in the early morning. She will then depart to feed for the remainder of the day.
Incubation starts when she lays the last or nearly the last egg.
Remember that she will occasionally take the eggs off to feed herself. Occasionally, while the female is incubating, the male will bring food for her.
The male of some species, such as mourning doves, assists in incubation
What Does it Take to Hatch an Egg?
Getting a bird from an egg to fly free in the wild depends on a number of factors, including temperature, humidity, and turning the egg.
The majority of wildlife rehabilitators are overburdened with tending to the sick and abandoned animals and birds.
It never hurts to ask around to see if any local rehabbers are up for the task of incubating a wild bird egg.
For an egg to hatch, the temperature must be consistently at 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
Throughout the incubation period, it is necessary to turn the egg multiple times a day to prevent overheating.
Humidity is also important during incubation. This fluctuates between 25 and 60 percent, reaching 70 and 80 percent during the previous three days.
Most people are unable to meet all of these needs without the use of specialized equipment.
Keep in mind, this is a 24-hour period. Getting up during the night included.
The majority of bird eggs you locate won’t hatch, so it might be a waste of your time.
Because eggs are delicate, even if there aren’t any visible cracks in the shell, an egg that falls to the ground is probably no longer viable.
The embryo could be harmed if the inner membrane is broken.
As previously mentioned, temperature has a significant impact on whether an egg hatches.
Once the incubation process has begun, an egg left to cool can be disastrous for the egg.
The location and timing of the bird egg discovery can also have an impact on its viability.
Predators often drop eggs or place them somewhere.
Frequently departing due to intimidation from additional predators or mature birds attacking them
The length of time the egg has been exposed to the elements may have an impact on its ability to hatch.
An egg can be harmed by rain, sunlight, or extreme cold.
In the unlikely event that the egg hatches, the young nestling’s chances of surviving are still very low.
The adult birds continue to teach the young what to eat and what predators to avoid even after they leave the nest.
These are survival skills that humans cannot possibly impart to them. This might prevent them from surviving their first winter.
It would take an average of 16 hours a day, seven days a week, for two weeks to feed a nestling.
The dietary needs of baby birds vary with species.
Most birds do not eat earthworms. Most need several different kinds of insects delivered at different times throughout the day.
This page’s main goal is to explain to you why it’s not a good idea to try hatching an abandoned bird egg.
Initially, it appears that all that needs to be done is keep the egg warm until it hatches.
However, as you can see, wild birds have a difficult task in raising their young from an egg to a fledgling.
An incubated songbird must be fed every fifteen minutes from the time the sun rises until it sets. If you choose to break the law and keep the egg, and if the egg you’re trying to incubate actually hatches, what then? Aside from having all the necessary cages, from an artificial nest in an incubator to a long-term, fully furnished outdoor aviary, will you be available to provide this care? Do you have access to thousands of live insects that you will need to feed the bird, and the training to do so safely? Do you have access to a veterinarian who would provide emergency care for a bird that is illegally in your possession? Unfortunately, raising a baby bird is far, far more difficult than many people realize, so it is easy to get in way over your head.
DIY hatching is still not an option, even in the extremely unlikely event that an egg on the ground is viable and actually shouldn’t be on the ground. It is against the law to own any native bird’s eggs, and properly incubating a wild bird’s egg is a very delicate process that is easily botched. A developing egg can be easily killed, even with the best incubators and equipment available.
It’s rare but not impossible to discover an egg on the ground that doesn’t belong there. However, you should never assume anything. Because eggs are so similar to one another in appearance, it’s far too simple to make a mistake. Additionally, an egg laid by a tree-nesting bird that has reached the ground is most likely no longer viable. The egg wasn’t fertilized, so the parents might have rejected it on purpose, but if it accidentally fell out, the embryo would most likely die in the process.
Numerous native wild birds can be seen on the ground in their natural habitat, such as grouse, terns, juncos, meadowlarks, sandpipers, plovers, turkeys, geese, quail, and hermit thrushes. The parents will lose the unborn child they have worked so hard to prepare for, and they might not be able to try again until the following year, if a well-meaning individual finds their eggs on the ground and kidnaps them.
The only decent and moral thing to do if you find an egg on the ground is to leave it alone.