Eggs of chickadees, nuthatches & wrens

37 eggs at true relative size, from the 13.3 mm egg of the Golden-crowned Kinglet to the 25.9 mm egg of the American Dipper.

About this collection. These eggs cover most of the birds that nest in Canada and the United States, plus a few famous eggs from elsewhere, like the Ostrich and the extinct Elephant Bird. It isn’t every bird in the world yet; we’ll update this note as the collection grows.

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American Dipper egg, 25.9 × 18.5 mm — All 37 eggs at the same scale, largest first. Tap an egg to jump to it.

Cactus Wren egg, 23.6 × 17 mm — All 37 eggs at the same scale, largest first. Tap an egg to jump to it.

American Dipper

Cinclus mexicanus

25.9 × 18.5 mm
Clutch: 4–5 eggs

White.

Sources of information

Size: Average of 50 eggs: Bent, Life Histories of North American Nuthatches, Wrens, Thrashers, and Their Allies (U.S. National Museum Bulletin 195, 1948), p. 100.
Agrees with: Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds: American Dipper, Life History.
Description: Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds: American Dipper, 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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Arctic Warbler

Phylloscopus borealis

16.34 × 12.53 mm
Clutch: 5–7 eggs

White with russet spots, denser at larger end.

Sources of information

Size: Average of 7 eggs: Bent, Life Histories of North American Thrushes, Kinglets, and Their Allies (U.S. National Museum Bulletin 196, 1949), p. 335.
Description: Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds: Arctic Warbler, 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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Bewick's Wren

Thryomanes bewickii

16.4 × 12.7 mm
Clutch: 3–8 eggs

White with reddish-brown or purplish spots.

Sources of information

Size: Average of 40 eggs: Bent, Life Histories of North American Nuthatches, Wrens, Thrashers, and Their Allies (U.S. National Museum Bulletin 195, 1948), p. 178.
Agrees with: Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds: Bewick's Wren, Life History.
Description: Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds: Bewick's Wren, 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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Black-capped Chickadee

Poecile atricapillus

15.2 × 12.2 mm
Clutch: 1–13 eggs

White with fine reddish-brown dots or spots.

Sources of information

Size: Average of 50 eggs: Bent, Life Histories of North American Jays, Crows, and Titmice (U.S. National Museum Bulletin 191, 1946).
Description: Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds: Black-capped Chickadee, 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-crested Titmouse

Baeolophus atricristatus

17.9 × 14.1 mm
Clutch: 4–7 eggs

White, finely speckled with reddish dots.

Sources of information

Size: Average of 40 eggs: Bent, Life Histories of North American Jays, Crows, and Titmice (U.S. National Museum Bulletin 191, 1946).
Agrees with: Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds: Black-crested Titmouse, Life History.
Description: Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds: Black-crested Titmouse, 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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Black-tailed Gnatcatcher

Polioptila melanura

14.4 × 11.5 mm
Clutch: 3–5 eggs

Pale-white to pale-blue, variably speckled in red.

Sources of information

Size: Average of 36 eggs: Bent, Life Histories of North American Thrushes, Kinglets, and Their Allies (U.S. National Museum Bulletin 196, 1949), p. 377.
Description: Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds: Black-tailed Gnatcatcher, 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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Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

Polioptila caerulea

14.5 × 11.2 mm
Clutch: 3–5 eggs

Pale blue spotted with reddish to dark brown.

Sources of information

Size: Average of 50 eggs: Bent, Life Histories of North American Thrushes, Kinglets, and Their Allies (U.S. National Museum Bulletin 196, 1949), p. 351.
Agrees with: Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds: Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Life History.
Description: Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds: Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Life History.
Drawing checked against a photo: Bird Eggs of Canada photo (University of Saskatchewan Department of Biology Natural History Collection).
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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Boreal Chickadee

Poecile hudsonicus

16 × 12 mm
Clutch: 4–9 eggs

Creamy white with reddish-brown spotting.

Sources of information

Size: Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds: Boreal Chickadee, Life History.
Description: Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds: Boreal Chickadee, Life History.
Drawing checked against a photo: Bird Eggs of Canada photo (University of Saskatchewan Department of Biology Natural History Collection).
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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Bridled Titmouse

Baeolophus wollweberi

16.1 × 12.6 mm
Clutch: 4–8 eggs

White, unmarked.

Sources of information

Size: Average of 50 eggs: Bent, Life Histories of North American Nuthatches, Wrens, Thrashers, and Their Allies (U.S. National Museum Bulletin 195, 1948), p. 260.
Description: Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds: Bridled Titmouse, 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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Brown Creeper

Certhia americana

15.1 × 11.8 mm
Clutch: 5–6 eggs

Smooth and white, speckled with pink or reddish-brown.

Sources of information

Size: Average of 40 eggs: Bent, Life Histories of North American Nuthatches, Wrens, Thrashers, and Their Allies (U.S. National Museum Bulletin 195, 1948), p. 61.
Description: Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds: Brown Creeper, 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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Brown-headed Nuthatch

Sitta pusilla

15.5 × 12.3 mm
Clutch: 3–7 eggs

Cream-colored with reddish brown dots and blotches.

Sources of information

Size: Average of 50 eggs: Bent, Life Histories of North American Nuthatches, Wrens, Thrashers, and Their Allies (U.S. National Museum Bulletin 195, 1948), p. 38.
Agrees with: Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds: Brown-headed Nuthatch, Life History.
Description: Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds: Brown-headed Nuthatch, 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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Bushtit

Psaltriparus minimus

13.7 × 10.1 mm
Clutch: 4–10 eggs

White and smooth.

Sources of information

Size: Average of 50 eggs: Bent, Life Histories of North American Jays, Crows, and Titmice (U.S. National Museum Bulletin 191, 1946).
Description: Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds: Bushtit, 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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Cactus Wren

Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus

23.6 × 17 mm
Clutch: 2–7 eggs

Salmon pink to buff with reddish brown spots.

Sources of information

Size: Average of 50 eggs: Bent, Life Histories of North American Nuthatches, Wrens, Thrashers, and Their Allies (U.S. National Museum Bulletin 195, 1948), p. 225.
Agrees with: Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds: Cactus Wren, Life History.
Description: Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds: Cactus Wren, 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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California Gnatcatcher

Polioptila californica

14.3 × 11.4 mm
Clutch: 2–5 eggs

White with small spots of reddish brown scattered throughout.

Sources of information

Size: Average of 40 eggs: Bent, Life Histories of North American Thrushes, Kinglets, and Their Allies (U.S. National Museum Bulletin 196, 1949), p. 367.
Agrees with: Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds: California Gnatcatcher, Life History.
Description: Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds: California Gnatcatcher, 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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Canyon Wren

Catherpes mexicanus

17.9 × 13.2 mm
Clutch: 4–6 eggs

White, with small, faint reddish-brown dots.

Sources of information

Size: Average of 50 eggs: Bent, Life Histories of North American Nuthatches, Wrens, Thrashers, and Their Allies (U.S. National Museum Bulletin 195, 1948), p. 281.
Agrees with: Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds: Canyon Wren, Life History.
Description: Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds: Canyon Wren, Life History.
Drawing checked against a photo: Bird Eggs of Canada photo (University of Saskatchewan Department of Biology Natural History Collection).
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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Carolina Chickadee

Poecile carolinensis

15 × 11 mm
Clutch: 3–10 eggs

White with fine dots to small blotches of reddish brown.

Sources of information

Size: Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds: Carolina Chickadee, Life History.
Description: Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds: Carolina Chickadee, 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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Carolina Wren

Thryothorus ludovicianus

19.1 × 14.9 mm
Clutch: 3–7 eggs

White, cream, or pinkish white, with fine rusty-brown spots.

Sources of information

Size: Average of 50 eggs: Bent, Life Histories of North American Nuthatches, Wrens, Thrashers, and Their Allies (U.S. National Museum Bulletin 195, 1948), p. 208.
Agrees with: Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds: Carolina Wren, Life History.
Description: Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds: Carolina Wren, Life History.
Drawing checked against a photo: Bird Eggs of Canada photo (University of Saskatchewan Department of Biology Natural History Collection).
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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Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Poecile rufescens

15.3 × 12 mm
Clutch: 1–11 eggs

White with reddish to light-brown spots.

Sources of information

Size: Average of 40 eggs: Bent, Life Histories of North American Jays, Crows, and Titmice (U.S. National Museum Bulletin 191, 1946).
Agrees with: Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds: Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Life History.
Description: Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds: Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Life History.
Drawing checked against a photo: Bird Eggs of Canada photo (University of Saskatchewan Department of Biology Natural History Collection).
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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Golden-crowned Kinglet

Regulus satrapa

13.3 × 10.4 mm
Clutch: 3–11 eggs

White or creamy, speckled with pale brown and lilac.

Sources of information

Size: Average of 50 eggs: Bent, Life Histories of North American Thrushes, Kinglets, and Their Allies (U.S. National Museum Bulletin 196, 1949), p. 388.
Agrees with: Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds: Golden-crowned Kinglet, Life History.
Description: Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds: Golden-crowned Kinglet, Life History.
Drawing checked against a photo: Bird Eggs of Canada photo (Royal Ontario 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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Great Tit

Parus major

18 × 14 mm
Clutch: 3–18 eggs

White with reddish-brown spots.

Sources of information

Size: BTO BirdFacts: Great Tit.
Description: Wikipedia: Great tit.
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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