Expert: Roger Lederer - 3/31/2009

Question
QUESTION: My husband accidently cut down a tree that had a scrub jay nest in it. There were 4 eggs. He put on gloves and gathered the eggs back in the nest and put the nest on our backyard table until he was done. When he left. The parents removed 2 of the eggs. My husband took the nest and tucked it away into a very thick rose bush. The parents came and took the other 2 eggs away. They came back and seemed to be cleaning up the nest. What did they do with the eggs? Will they make a new nest? Will they use the old one? Will they try to mate again? Our children are very interesting in what will happen with the baby birds.
Thanks!
Mary Pat

ANSWER: The parents did not come and take any eggs - birds are incapable of carrying away eggs. Most likely they were taken by a cat, rat, opossum, raccoon, another jay or some other predator. When the parents came back they were looking for the eggs. They probably will mate and nest again as it is early in the year but they will likely not use the old nest.

There is no need to use gloves to move a nest as birds have a very poor sense of smell.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: We actually SAW the parents take the eggs away - one at a time until all four were gone. They were bluish in color and a little more than an inch in length. When my husband cut the branch down, he saw the scrub jay in the nest and saw it fly away. So these were definately their eggs! Any thoughts?! Very interesting situation!
Thanks in advance!
Mary Pat

Answer
It is interesting that you saw all this, so it apparently confirms that they were Scrub Jay eggs. But no songbirds, move their eggs, especially any distance. Ducks and geese may roll their eggs, but no birds pick up their eggs in their beaks and move them to another nest. I suspect that what you saw was either the parents or other Jays pick up the eggs and take them away to eat them. Scrub Jays are fond of eggs. They can't pick up the eggs, so they poke a hole in them so they can grasp them and pick them up. So either the parents (yes, it is possible) or other jays ate the eggs.