Why did nature choose blue? The curious case of the blue eggs bird.
Birdwatching is a fascinating hobby that you can do in the wild while discovering a nest filled with blue eggs. Well, you’re certainly not the first to wonder which bird lays blue eggs.
This book will take you through the blue eggs bird, where you can get answers to this riveting question, their presence in nature, and why there is a preponderance of bluebirds among species. In this article, we’ll delve thoroughly into what bird lays blue eggs and some cool facts about blue eggs.
What Makes Some Birds Lay Blue Eggs?
What Makes Some Birds Lay Blue Eggs?Science Behind Blue Color
Birds lay eggs in different colors, but blue eggs are exciting. The vibrant blue color of a bird’s egg is due to a pigmentation called biliverdin, derived from hemoglobin. As eggs pass through the bird’s fallopian tube, biliverdin is deposited on the eggshell’s outer layer, resulting in a shade of blue or green.
This coloration has various benefits, like:
Camouflage: Blue eggs stayed in a nest or forest floor as predators less threatened them. Their blue color blends with the environment and causes camouflage against predators.
Heat Regulation: Blue and green pigment helps control the eggs’ internal temperature.
Species Identification: This color allows birds to quickly identify their eggs, especially when they lay eggs in other nests.
What Bird Lays Blue Eggs?
Most species lay blue or bluish-green eggs. Here’s a short list of just a few birds known to carry this characteristic:
1. Bird Species: American Robin
This bird is famous for laying brown-spotted eggs. Brilliant blue eggs are the hallmark of the American Robin, which is so distinctive in its egg color that it is identified as “robin’s egg blue.”
Nest Description: They build cup-shaped nests using dirt, grass, and mud. They can be found nesting in trees, plants, and man-made structures.
Eggs: A cluster of three to five vivid blue eggs is laid.
Fun Fact: The egg will change its color according to the diet of the female robin. Bluer eggs for a healthy bird.
2. Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis)
As its name suggests, Eastern Bluebird is also one of the species of bird laying blue eggs. These small thrushes are indigenous to North America, and because of their brilliant blue plumage, these tiny birds are very popular.
Nest Description: Eastern Bluebirds will nest directly in tree holes or else in birdhouses. They will line their nests with grass and pine needles.
White or light-colored eggs: White eggs can occasionally be seen.
Fun Fact: Bluebird nest boxes have been used in conservation attempts to assist the species’ population recover in recent years.
3. Dunnock (Prunella modularis)
The Dunnock is a small brownish bird bred in Europe and parts of Asia. The hedge sparrow is very common.
Nest Description: They collect moss, grass, and twigs and stack them up to make their nests. They normally make their nests on hedges or shrubs at ground level.
Eggs: Dunnock eggs are green-blue in color.
Cool Fact: With all the varieties of complex mating activities, such as polyandry, polygyny, and monogamy, they are one of the most elusive birds around.
4. Turdus merula, or Blackbird
It belongs to the Thrush family, which has already produced itself to everybody familiar with nature, for having eggs blue as sapphires, is the blackbird. They are natives of Asia, Europe, and North Africa, but they are also introduced into Australia and New Zealand.
Nest Description: Blackbirds make their nests in shrubs and trees. They typically glue the grass and leaves, which are the constituents of their nests, with mud.
Eggs: The birds’ eggs are brilliant blue and brown.
Fun Fact: Many people believe that blackbirds are mysterious or even mystical. In fact, the songs of blackbirds come out only when it becomes dark.
5. Turdus philomelos, Song Thrush
The thrush is another blue-shelled egg layer with minute specks. The birds also have songs whose melodies are familiar.
Nest Description: It makes a cup-shaped nest in the thickest tree bushes.
Eggs: Their eggs are light blue with brown or black specks.
Fun Fact: The Song Thrush presents a specific song type. It sings typically three or four times. This is quite interesting information about her.
6. House Finch, or Haemorhous mexicanus
The colors are white or light blue for House Finch eggs. Some females will lay blue-tinged eggs. They nest in urban centers throughout most of North America.
Nest Description: Their nests are made from grass, twigs, and feathers. They build nests in building structures, shrubs, and trees.
Eggs: Their eggs range from pale blue to white with small speckles.
Fun Fact: They can survive well both in urban and wild conditions because of their flexibility.
7. Roller Europe
The European Roller is characterized by the blue eggs that she lays, acrobatic flight, and its colorful plumage. It is a very interesting creature because of the blue and orange-brown color.
Nest Description: The European Roller is an open-area roller species; thus, it likes grasslands, orchards, and woodlands with open trees.
Eggs: The European Roller lays two to six pale blue eggs.
Fun Fact: The pigment responsible for this bird’s brilliant blue color is biliverdin, also known as the greenish pigment of bruises.
Conclusion
In addition to adding an ornament to nature’s beauty, the American Robin and the melodious Song Thrush make the blue egg layers valuable to our ecosystems.
Knowing what bird lays blue eggs and why can help us respect these incredible animals and still participate in their preservation. Next time you’re outside, look for those cryptic blue eggs. You might discover some hidden nest full of fledgling birds nearby in the future!
