When the mother bird lays an egg, it will sit on the nest and keep it warm with its body heat. They don’t want other people to touch their eggs. But you unknowingly touched their eggs. What can happen then? Will they leave their eggs alone or will they take care of their eggs? If you want to find out this answer you need to read the article thoroughly. In the previous article, we discussed why do birds abandon their nest with eggs. In this article, we will discuss will a mother bird abandon its eggs if you touch them.
Will a mother bird abandon its eggs if you touch them?
The first thing that comes to your mind is how could a mother bird abandon its own eggs. The answer is simple. A mother bird has no choice but to protect its eggs from any harm. It would not like anyone else to touch its eggs. So, when you accidentally touch its eggs, it does not want anything bad to happen to its eggs. That’s why the adult will get up from the nest and move away from the nest. This way the adult protects its eggs from getting damaged by touching them. For example, if you are in a park and you see a mother bird sitting on its nest, do not go near its nest because it might be protecting its eggs from getting harmed.
What does a mother bird do when someone touches its eggs?
If you have ever seen a mother bird sitting on its nest, you must have noticed that the mother bird keeps its eyes closed while sitting on its nest. This is because it doesn’t want anyone to disturb its eggs. Even though the adult is keeping its eyes closed, it still knows what is going on around it. The adult can hear everything happening around it. But it just chooses to ignore those things. The main focus is to protect its eggs from getting harmed by others.
Why does a mother bird leave its eggs?
When a mother bird leaves its eggs, there are two reasons for this. The first reason is that it wants to make sure that its eggs are safe. The second reason is that it needs some time to rest. After laying an egg, a mother bird needs to spend some time resting. It takes about 15 – 20 minutes to lays an egg. During this period, the mother bird needs to sleep. And during sleeping, it cannot protect its eggs from being harmed. So, after spending some time resting, it gets back to the nest and starts taking care of its eggs again.
What should you do if you accidentally touch a bird’s eggs?
If you accidentally touch a bird’s eggs, you should immediately remove your hand from the nest. You should also try to avoid doing such mistakes in future. Because if you continue to touch a bird’s eggs, you may end up breaking the eggs. Also, you may hurt the mother bird who is trying to protect its eggs. So, always remember that birds are very sensitive creatures. They feel pain as well as pleasure. So, never touch a bird’s eggs.
Do birds ever abandon their eggs?
Birds often abandon their eggs. There are many instances where a mother bird abandons its eggs. Let us look at some of these examples:
- Sometimes, a mother bird feels sick and tired. It may not even know what is wrong with it. So, it decides to leave its nest and go somewhere else.
- Sometimes, a mother may feel hungry. So, it goes out of its nest and eats something. When the adult returns to its nest, it finds that its eggs are gone.
- Another thing is feeling lonely. Sometimes, a mother feels lonely. So, it leaves its nest and goes somewhere else.
- Sometimes, a mother loses its mate. In such cases, it feels sad and depressed. So, it decides not to stay with its eggs anymore.
- A mother is afraid when a predators attack. So, it leaves the nest and hides somewhere else.
Do birds grieve when their eggs are destroyed?
Yes! Birds grieve when their eggs get destroyed or broken. If you watch closely, you will notice that they cry over it. They keep looking at the place where their eggs used to be. They keep calling out for their eggs.
Final thought
Mother birds are extremely protective of their eggs. They don’t like anything to happen to their eggs. They are so careful that sometimes they forget to take care of themselves. So, whenever you see a mother bird sitting on its nest, you should respect it. Don’t disturb it. Don’t touch its eggs. In this article, we have discussed will bird abandon their eggs if they touch them. We hope that you learned something new today.
