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Birding/House Finch eggs stolen

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Expert: - 4/15/2010


Question
We have a house finch nesting in the awning over our living room window.  The other day my son witnessed a much larger, brownish-black bird come in, frighten the female back so that she exposed her eggs, and the intruder stole an egg.  Why would another bird do this?

Answer
The simple reason is that other birds have to eat. Bird eggs are eaten by mice, rats, squirrels, raccoons, opossums, skunks, snakes and other mammals. But wrens, jays, crows, ravens, starlings, and other birds eat other bird's eggs as well. Eggs are very nutritious. It may seem cruel, but it's part of nature.

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Roger Lederer

Expertise

Any and all about WILD birds - the science of ornithology. Information about birdwatching, ecology, conservation, migration, behavior, banding, rehabilitation, feeding, songs, binoculars, identification, and careers in ornithology. No questions about pet or caged birds, please.

Experience

Have a PhD and over forty years as a professional ornithologist - research, teaching, author, speaker, webmaster of Ornithology.com . Have written thirty scientific papers, three bird field guides, a textbook in ecology and two recent books entitled "Amazing Birds" and "Birds of New England". Have traveled to over 90 countries watching birds.

Education/Credentials
PhD in Zoology/Ornithology; Emeritus Professor of Biological Sciences; former Dean of the College of Natural Sciences at California State University, Chico

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