Found six robin eggs in our hanging fern
Found these six robin eggs in the hanging fern on our front porch. Walked outside to pick up a package and saw the bird fly out of the plant. The main picture was taken on the 8th.
Here's a picture of them from today. All six eggs are still there, but they have not hatched yet:
5 robin eggs, 1 brown-headed cowbird egg.
Is that for real? How would there be two species of eggs together? Is it common?
For the cowbird this is normal. Cowbirds are brood parasites, it's snuck in whilst the robin was away and laid it's egg for the robin to raise. If the robin is smart enough to notice what's happened they will often still raise it anyway, as the adult cowbird will be keeping an eye on the host nest and will destroy the other eggs if the robin rejects it.
Well dang...
Hopefully the Robin babies do alright.
Welfare birb…
AirBirbnB
Brown-headed cowbirds are brood parasites; they lay their eggs in nests of other species and then their chicks are raised by the birds who made the nest, often at the expense of the nest-owners' offspring. Nature is really crazy sometimes.
Brood Parasitism: https://youtu.be/HpIhSLXQ5oc
Google the cuckoo