Blue Bird Lays an Egg Blue Bird Laying Eggs

Many different species of birds lay their eggs with colors ranging from pale blue to turquoise blue.

There are many birds, amphibians, and different invertebrates that are known to lay eggs to reproduce. However, the blue-colored eggs are strictly limited to birds.

Let's figure out why the bird's eggs turn out blue in the first place. Robins, bluebird species, blackbird species, Starlings, Thrushes, Blue Jays, Lesser Goldfinch, Red-winged Blackbirds, and Catbirds are some birds known to lay blue-colored bird eggs, though sometimes they also lay brown speckled eggs. As the eggs pass through the female bird's oviducts, pigments coat the eggs and determine the colors that the eggs will become. The age of the bird also determines the color density. While young birds' eggs are smaller in size, as they grow up, the size increases too.

The same amount of pigment coats the eggs regardless of size, which is why the bigger eggs are usually less dense in color than smaller eggs. Even the stress as the birds lay their eggs determines the color quality of the eggs. The blue color is sometimes used for identification by the parent birds, while in other cases, it helps keep a camouflage with the environment. You can even rub the pigment off for newly laid blue eggs, but the color becomes permanent after some time. We already know that many songbirds, including Robins, Blackbirds, Starlings, and Blue Jays, lay blue eggs that help them distinguish from the eggs of parasite species like cowbirds that lay their eggs in other birds' nests.

Apart from songbirds, a species called the South American Araucana chicken also lay blue eggs. This bird crossbreeds with other chickens in the area and develops a new breed called the Ameraucana chicken. This bird lays light blue-green eggs. Some duck species are also known to lay blue eggs. These eggs, blue in color, are quite a popular choice for chefs all around the world. Apart from ducks and chickens, some pheasants and geese also lay blue eggs.

We are usually familiar with the white eggs laid by most birds in the world. However, the world is enormous, and numerous species of birds out there have different eggs and markings. Some birds lay white eggs, while some bird eggs might be blue, green, bluish-green with speckles or markings. Flightless birds like Emus lay eggs that are ebony to dark green in color, and they may also lay turquoise blue eggs. These big eggs of Emus are in high demand as the eggshells are also used for art projects. Great Egrets, Snowy Egrets, Great Blue Herons, and Little Blue Herons lay blue or bluish-green eggs. Other bird species such as cormorants, skimmers, and guillemots also lay blue eggs.

It is thought that the original eggshell color lacked any pigmentation and was just white or gray. But to improve camouflage and protect the eggs from predators, birds have undergone evolution to mark the eggshells with different colors. Not just a blue eggshell, there are various other colors of eggs in the world.

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What kind of bird lays small blue eggs?

Many bird species in the world lay small blue eggs. In fact, smaller birds are known to lay smaller eggs in nests, while bigger birds like Ostriches and Emus lay their eggs on the ground. Species like the Goldfinch and Red-winged Blackbird lay blue eggs, among many others.

Although not regular, you might sometimes encounter nests full of blue eggs and wonder which bird might have laid this unique clutch. Blackbird, Song Thrush, Magpie, Starling, and Dunnock birds lay blue eggs, among many others. People often get confused that robins lay blue eggs. But no, only the American robin is known to lay a clutch of blue eggs.

The American Robin lays a clutch of three to five light blue eggs. The eggs laid by the robin are pretty small, with a width of only 0.8 in (2 cm). These beautiful eggs found in the nest are signs of the onset of early spring in North America. Remember, if you are visiting North America, it is prohibited to harm a nest of eggs in all areas of North America.

The Common Blackbird also lays a clutch of three or five blue eggs, similarly sized to the robin. While the Song Thrush lays a clutch of four to five light blue eggs with black or purple speckles in their nests. The eggs of the Song Thrush are small at around 0.8 in (2 cm).

You might also see a Dunnock and confuse it with a House Sparrow as they are pretty similar in appearance. Females of the Dunnock lay a clutch of four or five glossy blue eggs with reddish markings. The eggs are very small at around o.6 in (1.5 cm).

The Starling bird is a special one as no one can appreciate the bird's beautiful plumage from a distance. It will appear dark from afar, but when you come near, you will see their beauty. Starlings are known to lay a clutch of around nine eggs that can be white, pale blue, or green in color. The size of the clutch of eggs is similar to the robin.

Bluebirds lay smaller eggs than Starlings, and almost 4 to 5% of Bluebirds lay white eggs. In comparison, Magpies lay eggs that are bluish-green in color with markings on the eggshell. Their eggs are larger than that of a Blackbird with a width of 1 in (2.54 cm).

House Finches are cavity nesters and lay a clutch of four or five pale bluish-green eggs. The eggs laid by a female house finch are pretty small, with a width of just 0.5 in (1.2 cm). In contrast, Waxwing eggs are colored pale bluish-gray with spotting.

None of these bird species lay their eggs on the ground, including the Finch. All of the female birds lay their eggs in nests made in trees where the beautiful blue eggs hatch to welcome young chicks into the world.

Are blue eggs healthier?

The pigmentation of the eggshell has nothing to do with being healthy. It is just for identifying the bird eggs either in their nests on the ground or in the trees.

One example is a native South American chicken breed called the Araucana, which is known to lay bluish eggs. Many health companies and nutritionists claim that these colored eggs contain less cholesterol than the typical white and brown eggs. However, scientific data proves this theory wrong and says that all eggs, be it pigmented or white, contains cholesterol. So if you have high blood cholesterol or any heart diseases, it is advised to have eggs in moderation.

On average, blue eggs are known to have more cholesterol than standard white, gray, or brown eggs. All these eggs give almost similar nutritional value. Blue eggs taken in regular meals won't affect your blood cholesterol level that much. However, if you already have high cholesterol, eating eggs might increase it. Most of the cholesterol is concentrated in the yolk of an egg.

A healthy person with no history of high cholesterol can consume an egg per day. One egg will provide less than 0.02 oz (0.5 g) cholesterol to the body, recommended for healthy adults. A person having high cholesterol should limit themselves to three egg yolks in a week. You can use a substitute for egg or use the egg white instead of the whole egg.

What month do birds lay eggs?

To know what month birds lay eggs, we need first to have some information on the nesting habits of birds.

Birds are exquisite, majestic animals soaring high up in the sky or resting in the trees, further away from the ground. While some birds nest near the ground in the grass, most build nests in trees where they lay a clutch of eggs. Birds are intelligent because they use grass and sticks to make their nests which are light and excellent materials to build with. It is better to leave the birds alone during nesting and egg-laying season. Birds are known to lay eggs during the summer months in the north.

The weather needs to be warmer. The egg-laying time is typically from early spring to late summer. However, this timing depends on the area, species, elevation, weather, and many other criteria. The behavior of the birds' changes when it's time to mate, so you will be able to know the time if you study the females and the males closely.

What is the difference between blue eggs and regular color bird eggs?

There is very little difference between the eggs of different colors, be it blue or white.

When it comes to health, all the different colors of the eggshells do not matter as all give the same health needs. The difference in the color of the egg is due to the pigmentation inside the bird. The color of the eggs depends on the species, and colors come from the pigments that the birds produce. The primary pigment that creates the blue coloration is called biliverdin, which comes from the compound heme that makes blood red.

As the birds age, the coloration of the eggs also becomes lighter. When the bird is young, a bright coloration can be seen. Smaller eggs will be bluer, while larger ones will be paler. There is no other difference other than the pigmentation we discussed, and this is how birds lay blue eggs.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for birds that lay blue eggs, then why not take a look at what do cockroaches eat, or can ferrets eat cat food?

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