What Bird Lays Blue Eggs?

Birds are very colorful creatures, so also are their eggs. Birds lay eggs in various colors. This article focuses on why birds lay blue eggs. A bird’s egg consists of the shell, the albumen, the chorion, the vitellus, the air pocket, the embryo, the amnion, and the allantois. The eggs are laid by the female and incubated for a time, which differs from one species to another.

According to reports, birds that build their nests in trees tend to lay blue or green eggs, while those that build their nests on the ground or in bushes lay speckled eggs. Eggs, like birds’ species, are diverse in colors; birds lay eggs with several colors: white, blue, turquoise, brown, green, black, teal e.t.c. The color of these birds does not always determine the color of the eggs.

They include:

The Eastern, Mountain, and Western Bluebird
Ameraucanas
Starling
Blue Jay
Goldfinch
House Finch
Dunnock
Snowy Egret
Red-winged blackbird
Araucanas
Black tinamous
Common mynas
Linets
Song thrushes
Mountain Bluebird
Cream Legbars
Silkie
Eurasian Jackdaw
Blue Mockingbird
Gray Catbird
American, Fish, Hawaiian, and Tamaulipas Crow
Bay-breasted, Olive, and Yellow Warbler
Blue Grosbeak
Eurasian Bullfinch
Common Myna
Andalusian e.t.c.

These are just some of the birds that lay blue eggs; they all lay eggs whose base color is blue. There have been several studies on why these birds lay blue eggs; some studies show it is to camouflage and protect the eggs, while others have shown it is a result of the birds’ ovaries.

The bird that lays the egg also determines the color of the egg in some instances. It may be inherited from the mother as the color of eggs can be genetically influenced. Reports have shown that the robin eggs are blue because it produces a molecule called “biliverdin,” this molecule is a pigment which colors the egg blue. This blue color also shields the embryo inside the egg from sunlight.

Birds possess two pigment molecules, which determines the color of their eggs: Biliverdin and Protoporphyrin. Copious studies have shown that birds have these two molecules. Protoporphyrin makes eggs red while biliverdin makes them blue. As the shell of the egg develops in the shell gland, biliverdin is deposited on it. It is this pigment that then colors the egg. The shell gland can be referred to as a bird’s uterus; the moment before the egg is laid, the shell is formed.

It is at that moment that the biliverdin is deposited on it, thus making it blue. Birds can use the two molecules: Biliverdin and Protoporphyrin or only one of the two; they may even decide not to use any at all, which results in white eggs.

Birds are brilliant animals, their brains are large, and some species are fairly retentive. Its color can camouflage eggs; some birds leave their nests untended to, the eggs therein would be camouflage, this hidden from dangerous eyes.

The color of eggs can also help protect it from predators by camouflaging it. This precludes predators from seeing it; it blends in with the environment in which it is.

FAQs

Are blue eggs blue inside?

Yes, there have been reports from people that some blue eggs are blue even on the inside. However, not all of them are; there have even been reports of white eggs that are blue on the inside. This means that the pigment goes into the shell.

Are blue eggs good for you?

Yes, blue eggs are edible and are eaten. The Araucana, which is a native South American chicken breed, this bird lays blue eggs that are consumed by people. Some health food analysts even state that it is healthier as it contains less cholesterol than brown and white eggs.

How do you identify bird eggs?

There are over ten thousand birds; thus, this makes it difficult to precisely identify an egg. However, some distinct features separate bird’s eggs from others. The default color of an egg is generally white; however, some birds lay colored eggs. As listed above, some of the birds which produce blue eggs have been identified.

The location where eggs are found can also help in identifying a bird’s egg. Most birds lay their eggs in nests, some, however, in holes or on the ground in hidden places.

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Conclusion

Birds are diverse in nature just as their eggs and are equally as colorful too. Their ability to produce blue eggs is one of their interesting features. As made evident in this article, birds lay a variety of eggs in different colors. Bluebirds don’t necessarily lay blue eggs, and white birds don’t always lay white eggs.