Anyone for a Blackbird's egg ? I've got them nesting in the ivy at the
end of my verandah.
T.
-----Original Message-----
From:
On Behalf Of Stephen Ambrose
Sent: Wednesday, October 31, 2007 10:52 AM
To: 'Birding-aus'
Subject: Egg Collectors
Unlike most passerines in temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere
(e.g. Britain), most Australian passerines usually lay only 2 or 3 eggs
in a nest at any one time (rarely 1 or 4 eggs). If lucky, this may
result in 1 or 2 birds fledging successfully from a single clutch. Under
favourable environmental conditions, there may be more than one nesting
attempt within a single breeding season, otherwise there is usually just
one nesting attempt. This in an adaptation to surviving in unpredictable
climatic conditions, particularly in semi-arid and arid parts of
Australia. Therefore, there is a risk of egg collecting impacting
significantly on the status of local populations (even if it one egg
taken from each nest), especially if that population is a small one.
Egg collecting can also signal to other potential (natural)predators of
the whereabouts of a nest. Thus, the taking of one egg could
inadvertently cause predators to take the remaining one(s).
Dr Stephen Ambrose
Ryde, NSW
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