Eggs of auks, murres & puffins

22 eggs at true relative size, from the 39.5 mm egg of the Least Auklet to the 124 mm egg of the Great Auk.

About this collection. 4,422 eggs, covering nearly every bird that nests in the Americas, from Canada and the United States through Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean to South America, plus a few famous eggs from elsewhere, like the Ostrich and the extinct Elephant Bird. Sizes come from published measurements wherever we found them; shapes and colours are our best estimates (how accurate these eggs are).

2,116 of them are marked Speculative: we haven't found documented descriptions or measurements of these eggs yet (for 129 of them, a source we checked reports the egg as undescribed), so they are estimated from their closest relatives. They are hidden unless you untick Hide speculative eggs. We keep adding sources and update the eggs as we go. Have you seen one of these eggs, or know a source? Message us.

Make a poster of these 22 eggs

Illustration of a Great Auk (Pinguinus impennis) egg, 124 × 76 mm — All 22 eggs at the same scale, largest first. Tap an egg to jump to it.

Illustration of a Common Murre (Uria aalge) egg, 82 × 51.5 mm — All 22 eggs at the same scale, largest first. Tap an egg to jump to it.

Ancient Murrelet

Synthliboramphus antiquus

61.1 × 38.6 mm

Breeds in Canada, United States

Buffy to olive brown, with brown speckles and blotches.

Sources of information

Size: Average of 51 eggs: Bent, Life Histories of North American Diving Birds (U.S. National Museum Bulletin 107, 1919), p. 136.
Description: Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds: Ancient Murrelet, Life History.
Drawing checked against a photo: Bird Eggs of Canada photo (Royal Alberta Museum).
Shape: Drawn from the length and width, with the taper estimated from the typical eggs of its group (how these eggs are drawn).

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Atlantic Puffin

Fratercula arctica

63 × 44.2 mm
Clutch: 1 egg

Breeds in Canada, United States

Dull white.

Sources of information

Size: Average of 41 eggs: Bent, A.C. 1919. Life histories of North American diving birds. U.S. Natl. Mus. Bull. 107, scan p. 154 (printed c. p. 94).
Description: Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds: Atlantic Puffin, Life History.
Drawing checked against a photo: Bird Eggs of Canada photo (Royal Saskatchewan Museum).
Clutch: Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds.
Shape: Drawn from the length and width, with the taper estimated from the typical eggs of its group (how these eggs are drawn).

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Black Guillemot

Cepphus grylle

59.6 × 39.5 mm
Clutch: 1–2 eggs

Breeds in Canada, United States

Dull white to pale green, boldly marked with dark spots and blotches.

Sources of information

Size: Average of 53 eggs: Bent, Life Histories of North American Diving Birds (U.S. National Museum Bulletin 107, 1919), p. 163.
Description: Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds: Black Guillemot, Life History.
Drawing checked against a photo: Wikimedia Commons photo; Bird Eggs of Canada photo (Royal Alberta Museum).
Clutch: Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds.
Shape: Drawn from the length and width, with the taper estimated from the typical eggs of its group (how these eggs are drawn).

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Cassin's Auklet

Ptychoramphus aleuticus

46.9 × 34.38 mm

Breeds in Canada, United States, Mexico

Creamy white.

Sources of information

Size: Average of 60 eggs: Bent, Life Histories of North American Diving Birds (U.S. National Museum Bulletin 107, 1919), p. 112.
Description: Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds: Cassin's Auklet, Life History.
Drawing checked against a photo: Bird Eggs of Canada photo (Royal Alberta Museum).
Shape: Drawn from the length and width, with the taper estimated from the typical eggs of its group (how these eggs are drawn).

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Common Murre

Uria aalge

82 × 51.5 mm
Clutch: 1 egg

Breeds in Canada, United States

Very pointed at one end. Color variable, ranging from white to tan without markings, to dark green or turquoise with extensive black spots and scrawls.

Sources of information

Size: Average of 79 eggs: Bent, Life Histories of North American Diving Birds (U.S. National Museum Bulletin 107, 1919), p. 198.
Description: Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds: Common Murre, Life History.
Drawing checked against a photo: Wikimedia Commons photo; Bird Eggs of Canada photo (Royal Alberta Museum).
Clutch: Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds.
Shape: Drawn from the length and width, with the taper estimated from the typical eggs of its group (how these eggs are drawn).

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Craveri's Murrelet

Synthliboramphus craveri

52.37 × 35.21 mm
Clutch: 2 eggs

Breeds in United States, Mexico

Pale olive-buff to olive-buff (sometimes white or smoke-grey), with small blotches and specks of bone brown spread over the egg; less bold than Scripps's.

Sources of information

Size: Average of 100 eggs: Bancroft, G. 1930. Eggs of Xantus and Craveri murrelets. The Condor 32(5): 247-254, p. 249.
Description: Bancroft, G. 1930. The breeding birds of central Lower California. Condor 32 (as summarised in earlier research).
Shape: Drawn from the length and width, with the taper estimated from the typical eggs of its group (how these eggs are drawn).

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Crested Auklet

Aethia cristatella

54.2 × 37.9 mm

Breeds in United States

White, unmarked.

Sources of information

Size: Average of 30 eggs: Bent, Life Histories of North American Diving Birds (U.S. National Museum Bulletin 107, 1919), p. 122.
Description: Bent, Life Histories of North American Diving Birds (U.S. National Museum Bulletin 107, 1919), p. 122.
Shape: Drawn from the length and width, with the taper estimated from the typical eggs of its group (how these eggs are drawn).

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Dovekie

Alle alle

48.2 × 33 mm

Breeds in Canada

Pale bluish green, sometimes with subtle blotches.

Sources of information

Size: Average of 44 eggs: Bent, Life Histories of North American Diving Birds (U.S. National Museum Bulletin 107, 1919), p. 217.
Description: Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds: Dovekie, Life History.
Drawing checked against a photo: Bird Eggs of Canada photo (Royal Ontario Museum).
Shape: Drawn from the length and width, with the taper estimated from the typical eggs of its group (how these eggs are drawn).

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Great AukExtinct

Pinguinus impennis

124 × 76 mm

Breeds in Canada

Yellowish white with brown and black blotches and scrawls.

Sources of information

Size: Average of 40 eggs: Bent, Life Histories of North American Diving Birds (U.S. National Museum Bulletin 107, 1919), p. 213.
Agrees with: Wikipedia: Great auk (average 12.4 × 7.6 cm).
Description: Wikipedia: Great auk.
Shape: Drawn from the length and width, with the taper estimated from the typical eggs of its group (how these eggs are drawn).

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Guadalupe Murrelet

Synthliboramphus hypoleucus

54.91 × 35.66 mm
Clutch: 2 eggs

Breeds in United States, Mexico

Variable; drawn pale bluish-green with sparse brown spots and speckles.

Sources of information

Size: Average of 22 eggs: Stoddard, M. C., et al. 2017. Avian egg shape: form, function, and evolution. Science 356: 1249-1254 (Data S1, MVZ egg collection).
Description: oiseaux-birds.com species card (secondary compilation, largely after HBW): Guadalupe Murrelet.
Shape: Drawn from the length and width, with the taper estimated from the typical eggs of its group (how these eggs are drawn).

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Horned Puffin

Fratercula corniculata

69.3 × 47 mm (approx.)

Breeds in Canada, United States

Chalky white, sometimes marked with faint lavender-gray or pale olive.

Sources of information

Size: Average of 50 eggs: Schönwetter, M. 1960–1992. Handbuch der Oologie (ed. W. Meise), Lieferung 8. Akademie-Verlag, Berlin., p. 472.
Description: Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds: Horned Puffin, Life History.
Shape: Drawn from the length and width, with the taper estimated from the typical eggs of its group (how these eggs are drawn).

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Kittlitz's Murrelet

Brachyramphus brevirostris

60.3 × 36.2 mm

Breeds in United States

Olive green, dotted with dark and light brown spots.

Sources of information

Size: Average of 2 eggs: Bent, Life Histories of North American Diving Birds (U.S. National Museum Bulletin 107, 1919), p. 147.
Description: Bent, Life Histories of North American Diving Birds (U.S. National Museum Bulletin 107, 1919), p. 147.
Shape: Drawn from the length and width, with the taper estimated from the typical eggs of its group (how these eggs are drawn).

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Least Auklet

Aethia pusilla

39.5 × 28.5 mm

Breeds in United States

White, unmarked.

Sources of information

Size: Average of 57 eggs: Bent, Life Histories of North American Diving Birds (U.S. National Museum Bulletin 107, 1919), p. 130.
Description: Bent, Life Histories of North American Diving Birds (U.S. National Museum Bulletin 107, 1919), p. 130.
Shape: Drawn from the length and width, with the taper estimated from the typical eggs of its group (how these eggs are drawn).

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Marbled Murrelet

Brachyramphus marmoratus

54 × 36.1 mm (approx.)

Breeds in Canada, United States

Pale olive green to greenish yellow, spotted with black, brown, or purple.

Sources of information

Size: Bent, Life Histories of North American Diving Birds (U.S. National Museum Bulletin 107, 1919), p. 142.
Description: Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds: Marbled Murrelet, Life History.
Shape: Drawn from the length and width, with the taper estimated from the typical eggs of its group (how these eggs are drawn).

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Parakeet Auklet

Aethia psittacula

54.3 × 37.3 mm
Clutch: 1 egg

Breeds in United States

Smooth white, sometimes with a slight blue or green tinge.

Sources of information

Size: Average of 33 eggs: Bent, Life Histories of North American Diving Birds (U.S. National Museum Bulletin 107, 1919), p. 118.
Description: Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds: Parakeet Auklet, Life History.
Clutch: Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds.
Shape: Drawn from the length and width, with the taper estimated from the typical eggs of its group (how these eggs are drawn).

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Pigeon Guillemot

Cepphus columba

60.5 × 41 mm
Clutch: 1–2 eggs

Breeds in Canada, United States

Pale cream, may be tinged greenish or bluish, with large and small dark blotches, often concentrated in ring around large end.

Sources of information

Size: Average of 51 eggs: Bent, Life Histories of North American Diving Birds (U.S. National Museum Bulletin 107, 1919), p. 170.
Description: Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds: Pigeon Guillemot, Life History.
Drawing checked against a photo: Bird Eggs of Canada photo (Royal Alberta Museum).
Clutch: Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds.
Shape: Drawn from the length and width, with the taper estimated from the typical eggs of its group (how these eggs are drawn).

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Razorbill

Alca torda

75.9 × 47.9 mm

Breeds in Canada, United States

Whitish with dark blotches around large end.

Sources of information

Size: Average of 80 eggs: Bent, Life Histories of North American Diving Birds (U.S. National Museum Bulletin 107, 1919), p. 203.
Description: Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds: Razorbill, Life History.
Drawing checked against a photo: Wikimedia Commons photo; Bird Eggs of Canada photo (Royal Saskatchewan Museum).
Shape: Drawn from the length and width, with the taper estimated from the typical eggs of its group (how these eggs are drawn).

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Rhinoceros Auklet

Cerorhinca monocerata

68.5 × 46.2 mm

Breeds in Canada, United States

Off white with faint purplish blotches.

Sources of information

Size: Average of 39 eggs: Bent, Life Histories of North American Diving Birds (U.S. National Museum Bulletin 107, 1919), p. 106.
Description: Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds: Rhinoceros Auklet, Life History.
Drawing checked against a photo: Bird Eggs of Canada photo (Royal Ontario Museum).
Shape: Drawn from the length and width, with the taper estimated from the typical eggs of its group (how these eggs are drawn).

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Scripps's Murrelet

Synthliboramphus scrippsi

53.5 × 36 mm

Breeds in United States, Mexico

Pale bluish or olive, spotted and speckled with brown.

Sources of information

Size: Average of 152 eggs: Bent, Life Histories of North American Diving Birds (U.S. National Museum Bulletin 107, 1919), p. 151.
Description: Bent, Life Histories of North American Diving Birds (U.S. National Museum Bulletin 107, 1919), p. 151.
Shape: Drawn from the length and width, with the taper estimated from the typical eggs of its group (how these eggs are drawn).

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Thick-billed Murre

Uria lomvia

80 × 50 mm

Breeds in Canada, United States

Very pointed at one end. Color variable, ranging from white to tan without markings, to dark green or turquoise with extensive black spots and scrawls.