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How to Tell If a Robin's Egg Is Dead

Robins are prolific birds that live in natural and human-generated habitats across North America. These birds and their uniquely colored blue eggs are preyed upon by a wide variety of predators such as owls, house cats, squirrels, snakes, crows and several other birds and animals. If you come across an abandoned robin's egg, use your observation powers to determine whether the egg is alive or dead and infertile.

Instructions

- 1
  Observe the robin's egg for any signs of cracks on the eggshell. If the eggshell is cracked, the robin's egg is dead. Robin's usually lay their eggs in nests that are between 10 to 30 feet above the ground. Even if you do not see any visible cracks on the eggshell, an egg that has fallen from such a height or that is removed by a predator will not hatch. Eggs are fragile, and drops from high places will damage the embryo within and cause a deformed chick to hatch, if it does hatch.
- 2
  Determine the duration of time and the temperature that the robin's egg has been left abandoned in. If the egg has been abandoned overnight and found in extreme weather conditions, it is dead. Robin eggs like most bird eggs require a warm temperature to incubate and hatch. If the incubation process is disrupted the eggs will not hatch and are dead.
- 3
  Smell the robin's egg. If a rotten egg smell emanates from the egg, it means that the embryo inside is dead.

Animals & Science