If you do not collect your chicken’s eggs then she will collect a group of eggs in the nest over a period of several weeks. This collection of eggs is called a clutch. The average chicken clutch contains approximately 12 eggs.

A clutch of eggs is the total number of eggs laid in one nesting attempt. Clutch sizes vary within and among species. For example, a Laysan Albatross lays only one egg per clutch; an Adelie Penguin typically lays two.

Bird Nesting Behavior A brood (rhymes with “mood”) is a set of young birds, or baby bird siblings, hatched at the same time by the same parents. As a verb, to brood eggs is when a parent bird, male or female, sits upon the eggs for the temperature regulation necessary for safe, successful hatching.

BIRDS’ EGGS and birds’ nests — not the prefabricated Easter egg type but forms sprung from nature — are extolled in an exhibition at the Stamford Museum and Nature Center.

If a bird is nesting in an inconvenient place on your property, the good news is that the nesting period is not forever, and in some species may only be matter of weeks. We don’t recommend that you move the nest; Birds will often abandon their nest if it is moved.

any migratory bird, any part, nest, or eggs…” California State Code 3503 states “It is unlawful to take, possess, or needlessly destroy the nest or eggs of any bird…” Individual Cities may have additional laws protecting birds and their nests.

Most birds are protected species and tampering with or removing a nest or eggs could lead to hefty fines or other penalties. In the United States, for example, it is illegal to remove or destroy any active nest from a native bird species, defined as a nest with eggs or brooding adults in it.

Can You Move a Bird Nest with Eggs in It? Please note that under the law, it is not legal to simply move the nest to another location in your yard. (Additionally, it’s unlikely the parent birds will continue to use it—they’ll abandon the eggs and try to build another nest.)

If a nest with eggs has fallen from a tree, take it straight to a bird sanctuary or veterinarian to find out if the eggs have survived. Keep the nest warm during transportation by wrapping it in a towel, blanket or jacket.

If you come across a bird nest in your yard with eggs, or see a female sitting on the nest, your options are legally limited no matter how inconvenient it might be for you. If the nest absolutely must be moved, you’ll need to contact a local rescue organization.

Most birds found in gardens leave their nest at about two weeks and will then spend some time on the ground being fed by the parent birds as they gradually learn to fly and fend for themselves.

MYTH: Birds use nests all year long. Birds only use nests as a place to incubate eggs and raise young. Once chicks fledge, adults and young do not typically continue to use the nest. However, some birds will return to the same general areas to nest year after year.

Birds almost always return to their nest and resume incubating after they’ve been scared off. This is especially true before all the eggs have been laid; many birds don’t start incubating their eggs until after the last one is laid, which ensures that the eggs all hatch at about the same time.

How long can bird eggs be left unattended? Most bird eggs will remain healthy for up to two weeks before incubation starts. During this pre-incubation period, birds may leave the nest for long periods during the day.