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You are here: Experts > Science > Animals/Wildlife > Wildlife > Bird eggs
Expert: Edward
Date: 7/13/2008
Subject: Bird eggs
Question
I live north west of Philadelphia in Chester County. I found a nest in the wreath on my front door. The wreath is a white wire basket with silk white and blue flowers. We discovered the nest when we realized one egg had dropped on the porch. If we walked to the door the small bird flew away, only to return quickly once we left. I did not open the front door from then on...and told friends, etc. to use our back door. That was approximately three weeks ago. Over the past 10 days, I have not noticed the female anywhere near the door. I finally peeked into the nest and there are two small eggs. One is all white and the other is white with light brown spreckles (both are the same size). Has the nest been abandoned? Is there anything I can do with the eggs? When do I "give up" and remove the nest and the eggs from the front door?
Thank you!
Jane Ann
Answer
Hello Jane Ann.
I believe you have a house sparrow nesting in your wreath. Unfortunately, the egg that fell to the ground is most likely dead, for it is difficult for them to survive falls onto hard surfaces. It may be that they abandoned the eggs, or perhaps you simply don't see them. I can honestly not be sure. Perhaps try to be a bit more "sneaky" when going to look at the nest, and don't make any loud noises. If you are certain the eggs are abandoned, you can dispose of them with gloved hands. However, female birds getting ready to have their babies hatch are often very skittish. I live just north of Pittsburgh, PA, and I have a robin's nest under my deck. The female has used the nest twice in a row for two sets of eggs, and she still is afraid of me, even after she knows I am no threat. Hopefully, the birds are still taking care of their eggs.
If you want to move the nest, that is fine too. Use gloves to do so, and you can move the nest up to 8 feet away from where it was. Just make sure a parent bird is watching so they know where to find it.
Hope this helped,
Edward.
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