[tn-bird] Re: Egg comparisons
- From: James Brooks <comeback@xxxxxxxx>
- To: tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sat, 29 Jun 2002 07:53:19 -0400
Van -
The ground color of the cowbird is white to grayish white, that of the
cardinal is described as grayish, bluish, greenish white. So if there's
any bluish-greenish tint to the eggs, that would lead you toward cardinal.
The cowbird has evenly dotted brown spots, often with heavier markings
at the large end. cardinals are blotched or spotted with browns, grays,
purples, sometimes so heavily it's hard to tell the ground color.
Cardinals also sometimes lay a clutch of 2, although it's commonly 3-4.
Shape and size are too close between the two to call.
Typically the cowbird lays one egg per nest, and prefers a nest with at
least one egg already in it.
Without seeing it, I'm tending toward a small, or not yet completed
cardinal clutch. Some tools recommended if you are poking about in birds
nests, and this is for the benefit of others on the list:
- a small mirror on a swivel shaft, usually available in auto parts
stores for looking behind engine blocks or under valve covers. This can
be rubber banded onto a telescoping rod. Keep your eyes open in parking
lots for a broken off car antenna.
- a field guide to bird nests. Peterson's, if still in print is
excellent for the United States.
- moth balls in a zip-lok bag. Feral cats and other predators tend to
follow human scents, just to see what you're up to and you could lead
them to a nest unless you, while backtracking, obliterate your scent on
the trail with moth balls. Crystals would probably work as well. If I go
up through the woods on a winding path to the north 4 to enjoy the
evening, even if my cats don't see me go, within about 5 minutes I'll
see them following my trail until they catch sight of me. Of course the
mirror on extension keeps you from taking your scent all the way to the
nest. I make it a point to do nest investigation on my own property only
with binoculars, unless it's starlings.
James Brooks
Jonesborough, TN
PYRPYRFECT@xxxxxxx wrote:
>A cardinal has built a nest in a cedar tree in our yard. So far, there are 2
>eggs. Both eggs look remarkably similar to a cowbird egg that we confiscated
>from a prothonotary warbler nest earlier in the season. Short of DNA
>profiling, is there any way to tell the eggs of the two species apart?
>
>Van Harris
>Millington, TN
>
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=================NOTES TO SUBSCRIBER=====================
The TN-Bird Net requires you to sign your messages with
first and last name, city (town) and state abbreviation.
-----------------------------------------------------
To post to this mailing list, simply send email to:
tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
-----------------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe, send email to:
tn-bird-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
with 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Topographical Maps located at http://topozone.com/find.asp
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Visit the Tennessee Ornithological Society
web site at http://www.tnbirds.org
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
TN-Bird Net Owner: Wallace Coffey, Bristol, TN
jwcoffey@xxxxxxxxxx (423) 764-3958
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