It’s a wonder of nature that bird eggs can range from brown, white, to even blue with different patterns.
To know what birds have blue eggs, explore 21 avian species right here. These birds include robins, finches, crows, thrushes, bluebirds, blue jays, dunnocks, and more.
Table of Contents
- What Bird Lays Blue Eggs?
- 1. Robins
- 2. Blue Jays
- 3. Black Tinamou
- 4. Common Mynas
- 5. Bluebirds
- 6. Dunnocks
- 7. European Starlings
- 8. Blue-gray gnatcatcher
- 9. Gray Catbirds
- 10. Linnets
- 11. Blackbirds
- 12. Thrushes
- 13. Snowy Egrets
- 14. Magpies
- 15. Goldfinch
- 16. Eurasian Jackdaw
- 17. Herons
- 18. Crows
- 19. Finches
- 20. House Sparrows
- 21. Eurasian Bullfinch
- Conclusion
What Bird Lays Blue Eggs?
Blue colored bird eggs may come as a fascinating surprise for many people, but they do exist. Thanks to a compound called biliverdin, there are 22 bird species that can generate blue eggs.
Now that you know that there are indeed blue eggs, you should now learn how to perform bird egg identification. By knowing the size, shade, and markings of the blue eggs, you can safely guess what kind of bird laid the eggs.
1. Robins
Robin eggs are beautiful with their pale blue shade. And the brighter the color is, the more the males are dedicated to caring for their offspring.
American | European | |
Incubation | 12-14 days | 13 days |
Clutch | 3-5 eggs | 4-7 eggs |
Brood | 1-3 | 2-3 |
Width | 0.8” | 20×15.5mm |
Length | 1.1-1.2” |
2. Blue Jays
Blue jays thrive in woodlands, and they create their nests 10-25 feet above the earth. They are an intelligent bird species, and they value their family the most.
Incubation | 17-18 days |
Clutch | 2-7 eggs |
Brood | 1 |
Width | 0.7-0.9” |
Length | 1.0-1.3” |
3. Black Tinamou
Black tinamous are stout ground-dwellers, and the females are bigger than the males. During breeding time in March to November, they generate up to two shiny blue eggs on the ground.
Incubation | 19-20 days |
Clutch | 8-16 eggs |
Dimension | 53.4×38.0mm |
4. Common Mynas
The monogamous common myna originated from Asia, and it is also known as the Indian myna. They build their nests in tree holes or walls. This invasive bird species is extremely territorial.
Incubation | 17-18 days |
Clutch | 4-6 eggs |
Dimension | 30.8×21.99mm |
5. Bluebirds
Another blue eggs bird species is the western, eastern, and mountain bluebirds. As adults, the bluebirds retain their royal blue shade through their plumage.
Eastern | Mountain | Western | |
Incubation | 11-19 days | 18-21 days | 12-17 days |
Clutch | 2-7 eggs | 4-8 eggs | 2-8 eggs |
Brood | 1-3 | 1-2 | 1-3 |
Width | 0.6-0.8” | 0.6-0.7” | 0.7-0.9” |
Length | 0.7-0.9” | 0.8-1.0” | 0.8-2.4” |
6. Dunnocks
Dunnocks can be monogamous or polyandrous, and they produce brightly-colored blue eggs. These birds are also called the hedge sparrow, and their shiny egg exterior has zero spots.
Incubation | 12-13 days |
Clutch | 4-5 eggs |
Brood | 2-3 |
Width | 20x15mm |
7. European Starlings
European starlings have light blue bird eggs that are bigger than other avian eggs. Both male and female partners set up the nest, although the males have a bigger role in constructing it.
Incubation | 12 days |
Clutch | 3-6 eggs |
Brood | 1-2 |
Width | 0.8-0.9” |
Length | 1.1-1.3” |
8. Blue-gray gnatcatcher
Blue-gray gnatcatcher eggs are light blue coupled with crimson to dark brown markings. Their nests are often made of fibrous materials and silk or spider webs.
- Incubation: 11-15 days
- Clutch: 3-5 eggs
- Brood: 1-2
- Width: 0.4- 0.5’’
- Length: 0.5-0.6’’
9. Gray Catbirds
Gray catbirds have turquoise green eggs with tiny red markings. Males gather the materials for the nests and females build their home. The females lay their eggs in thick shrubberies.
Incubation | 12-15 days |
Clutch | 1-6 eggs |
Brood | 2-3 |
Width | 0.5-0.6” |
Length | 0.9-1.0” |
10. Linnets
Linnets are birds that lay blue eggs during the breeding months of April to July. The eggs are dotted with purple and brown markings.
Incubation | 14 days |
Clutch | 4-6 eggs |
Brood | 3 |
Dimension | 18x13mm |
11. Blackbirds
Blackbirds are monogamous birds that breed in August to February. Each year, the blackbirds lay eggs using the same nest. Both parents have their own time to incubate their blue or green-blue eggs with brown speckles.
Incubation | 13-14 days |
Clutch | 3-5 eggs |
Brood | 2-4 |
Dimension | 29x22mm |
12. Thrushes
The song thrushes have shiny blue speckled bird eggs.
Wood thrush eggs have a turquoise color without any spots. The white-throated thrush eggs are pale blue with markings of red-brown and gray hues. Varied thrush eggs are pale sky blue with dark brown spots.
The swainson’s thrushes have greenish blue or plain blue eggs with tan or crimson spots.
Aztec thrush eggs are light blue, and the bicknell’s thrush and dusky thrush eggs are bluish green coupled with hazel spots.
Finally, clay-colored thrush eggs are pale blue with crimson-brown markings.
Song | Wood | White-throated | Varied | Swainson’s | |
Incubation | 10-17 days | 12-15 days | 12-14 days | 12 days | 10-14 days |
Clutch | 4-5 eggs | 3-4 eggs | 2-4 eggs | 1-6 eggs | 1-5 eggs |
Brood | 2-3 | 1-2 | 1-3 | 1-2 | At least 1 |
Width | 2.7×2.0cm | 0.7-0.8” | 31x22mm | 0.8-0.9” | 0.6-0.7” |
Length | 1.1” | 0.9-1.1” | 1.1-1.4” | 0.8-1.0” |
Aztec | Bicknell’s | Dusky | Clay-colored | |
Incubation | 12-14 days | 9-14 days | 13-15 days | 12-14 days |
Clutch | 2-3 eggs | 3-4 eggs | 4-6 eggs | 2-4 eggs |
Brood | At least 1 | 1-2 | At least 1 | At least 1 |
Width | regular | 0.6-0.7” | regular | regular |
Length | regular | 0.8-0.9” | regular | regular |
13. Snowy Egrets
Snowy egrets build their nests in dense vegetation areas. The males begin the construction prior to seeking a mate. Once the female is in the picture, she finishes the nest. And when the eggs are laid, they have a light green-blue color.
Incubation | 24-25 days |
Clutch | 2-6 eggs |
Brood | At least 1 |
Width | 0.9-1.3” |
Length | 1.6-1.7” |
14. Magpies
Not all magpies participate in the breeding process due to the limited space for nesting. But for those that do, the pairs produce small blue bird eggs. The nests of the magpies are protected with a dome structure.
Incubation | 18-19 days |
Clutch | 1-9 eggs |
Brood | 1 |
Width | 0.8-1.0” |
Length | 1.2-1.5” |
15. Goldfinch
The American goldfinch eggs are light blue-white in color coupled with tiny and pale brown specks located on the larger edge.
Lawrence’s goldfinch eggs are super light blue with no markings, like lesser goldfinch eggs.
American | Lawrence’s | Lesser | |
Incubation | 12-14 days | 12.5 days | 12-13 days |
Clutch | 2-7 eggs | 3-6 eggs | 3-6 eggs |
Brood | 1-2 | 1 | 1 |
Width | 0.5” | 15.50×11.7mm | 0.4-0.5” |
Length | 0.6-0.7” | 0.6” |
16. Eurasian Jackdaw
The Eurasian jackdaw eggs that are found in nest are light blue-green in color with tiny spots of brown. Parent birds build their nests in tree holes.
Incubation | 18-19 days |
Clutch | 4-6 eggs |
Brood | At least 1 |
Dimension | 36x26mm |
17. Herons
Great blue and little blue heron eggs are light blue, but for the former, the hue gradually wanes as the days go by.
Great blue | Little blue | |
Incubation | 27-29 days | 22-23 days |
Clutch | 2-6 eggs | 3-4 eggs |
Brood | 1-2 | At least 1 |
Width | 1.8-2.0” | 1.2-1.4” |
Length | 2.4-3.0” | 1.6-2.0” |
18. Crows
American female crows and fish crows lay tiny blue eggs with specks of brown.
Meanwhile, the Hawaiian crow eggs are greenish-blue, and the eggs of the tamaulipas are pale blue with spots of light olive.
American | Fish | Hawaiian | Tamaulipas | |
Incubation | 16-18 days | 16-19 days | 19-22 days | 17-18 days |
Clutch | 3-9 eggs | 2-6 eggs | 2-5 eggs | 4 eggs |
Brood | 1-2 | 1 | 1 | |
Width | 1.0-1.2” | 1.0-1.2” | small | |
Length | 1.4-1.9’ | 1.3-1.6” | small |
19. Finches
The house finch breed has light bluish-green hued eggs coupled with spots of black or light lavender.
Cassin’s finch eggs are pale green-blue with lavender, black, and chocolate-colored specks.
As for oriental greenfinch eggs, they’re light blue with hazel markings.
Cassin’s | House | Oriental greenfinch | |
Incubation | 12 days | 13-14 days | 12-14 days |
Clutch | 3-6 eggs | 2-6 eggs | 3-5 eggs |
Brood | 1-2 | 1-6 | 2 |
Width | 0.5-0.6” | 0.5-0.6” | |
Length | 0.7-0.9” | 0.6-0.8” |
20. House Sparrows
The light blue sparrow eggs have streaks of hazel or gray. The house sparrows prefer to build neighboring nests. And they usually utilize their nests multiple times.
Incubation | 10-14 days |
Clutch | 1-8 eggs |
Brood | 1-4 |
Width | 0.6” |
Length | 0.8-0.9” |
21. Eurasian Bullfinch
The little blue eggs of the Eurasian bullfinch are with crimson markings.
Incubation | 8-9 days |
Clutch | 4-7 eggs |
Brood | 2-3 |
Size | small |
Conclusion
Now you know what birds have blue eggs, it’s easier to identify the bird species that created them.
Each bird nest offers a varying number of eggs, and the incubation time differs too. Even birds in the same family have different numbers of eggs, brood, markings, and shades of blue.
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Before you go, don’t forget to check other articles about bird’s life:
George and I became friends after a birdwatching trip with our new group. And we have been enjoying every adventure together. When he told me the idea of establishing a site that shares our experiences and fun, I immediately agreed. After trials and errors, here we have Thayerbirding.