Eggs And Hatching


A bird's egg is a living package protected by a hard shell. When it is newly laid, the egg contains just the yolk and the white part. The parent keeps the egg warm by sitting on it, or "incubating" it. The yolk nourishes the growing bird, and after a few weeks, the bird is ready to hatch.
  • Pea-Size Eggs

A hummingbird's nest has enough room for tzo pea-sized eggs.
  • Ground Nester

The curlew nests on the ground. Its speckled eggs are well camouflaged.
  • Blue Egg

The American robin lays four blue eggs.
  • One Of A Kind

Many guillemot eggs have spots or streaks. Parents can recognize their own egg by its unique pattern.
Into The Outside world

If you tap and egg with a spoon, its shell will quickly break. But imagine how hard the same job is for a baby bird. It has to break the shell from the inside. It has a special eggtooth on the top of its bill, so can chip through the shell. Here you can see how a duckling breaks out.

1- Making a hole

The duckling's hardest task comes first. Using its beak, it chips away at the blnt end of the egg until it has made a hole.

2- Round And Round

Next, the duckling hammers away at the shell. It turns all the time, so that it cuts in a circle.

3- Pushing Away

Once the circle is complete, the duckling gives big heave by trying to straighten its neck. As the crack widens, one of its wings pops out.

4- Off With The Top

Suddenly, the blunt end of the egg beaks openas the duckling gives a final push. It is almost intothe outside world.

5- Breaking Out

The duckling falls out of the egg, landing on its stomach. Its wet feathers cling together, making it look bedraggled.

6- Drying Off

Within two or three hours, the duckling's feathers have dried out and turned fluffy. It cannot fly yet, but it can run around and is ready for its first swim.