13 eggs at true relative size, from the 25.6 mm egg of the Black Rail to the 98.4 mm egg of the Whooping Crane.
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.
American Coot
Fulica americana
- 49 × 33.5 mm
- Clutch: 8–12 eggs
Buff, pinkish buff or buff-gray speckled with dark brown, purplish brown, or black.
Sources of information
- Size
- Average of 122 eggs: Bent, Life Histories of North American Marsh Birds (U.S. National Museum Bulletin 135, 1927), p. 361.
- Description
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds: American Coot, 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).
Make a 3D-printable copy of this egg →See posters with this egg →
Black Rail
Laterallus jamaicensis
- 25.6 × 19.8 mm
- Clutch: 4–13 eggs
Creamy white with fine brown spots.
Sources of information
- Size
- Average of 92 eggs: Bent, Life Histories of North American Marsh Birds (U.S. National Museum Bulletin 135, 1927), p. 329.
Agrees with: Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds: Black Rail, Life History. - Description
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds: Black Rail, 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).
Clapper Rail
Rallus crepitans
- 42.5 × 30 mm
- Clutch: 2–16 eggs
Creamy white to buff, with irregular brown to lilac blotches.
Sources of information
- Size
- Average of 50 eggs: Bent, Life Histories of North American Marsh Birds (U.S. National Museum Bulletin 135, 1927), p. 279.
- Description
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds: Clapper Rail, 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).
Common Gallinule
Gallinula galeata
- 44 × 31 mm
- Clutch: 3–15 eggs
Light gray with darker scattered specks and spots.
Sources of information
- Size
- Average of 105 eggs: Bent, Life Histories of North American Marsh Birds (U.S. National Museum Bulletin 135, 1927), p. 350.
Agrees with: Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds: Common Gallinule, Life History. - Description
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds: Common Gallinule, 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).
Make a 3D-printable copy of this egg →See posters with this egg →
King Rail
Rallus elegans
- 36.2 × 30 mm
- Clutch: 10–12 eggs
Pale buff with a few irregular brown spots.
Sources of information
- Size
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds: King Rail, Life History.
- Description
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds: King Rail, 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).
Make a 3D-printable copy of this egg →See posters with this egg →
Limpkin
Aramus guarauna
- 59.4 × 43.8 mm
- Clutch: 4–7 eggs
Variable. Light grayish white or deep olive with brownish or purplish gray streaks and blotches.
Sources of information
- Size
- Average of 40 eggs: Bent, Life Histories of North American Marsh Birds (U.S. National Museum Bulletin 135, 1927), p. 257.
Agrees with: Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds: Limpkin, Life History. - Description
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds: Limpkin, 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).
Purple Gallinule
Porphyrio martinica
- 39.2 × 28.8 mm
- Clutch: 6–8 eggs
Creamy white with small, irregular brown spots.
Sources of information
- Size
- Average of 56 eggs: Bent, Life Histories of North American Marsh Birds (U.S. National Museum Bulletin 135, 1927), p. 342.
Agrees with: Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds: Purple Gallinule, Life History. - Description
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds: Purple Gallinule, 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).
Ridgway's Rail
Rallus obsoletus
- 44.1 × 31.3 mm
- Clutch: 3–14 eggs
Creamy white to buff with brown to lilac blotches.
Sources of information
- Size
- Average of 57 eggs: Bent, Life Histories of North American Marsh Birds (U.S. National Museum Bulletin 135, 1927), p. 269.
- Description
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds: Ridgway's Rail, 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).
Sandhill Crane
Antigone canadensis
- 96.2 × 61.4 mm
- Clutch: 1–3 eggs
Pale brownish yellow to olive, with irregular brown or gray markings.
Sources of information
- Size
- Average of 43 eggs: Bent, Life Histories of North American Marsh Birds (U.S. National Museum Bulletin 135, 1927), p. 245.
- Description
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds: Sandhill Crane, 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).
Make a 3D-printable copy of this egg →See posters with this egg →
Sora
Porzana carolina
- 31.5 × 22.5 mm
Cream to cinnamon-colored with irregular brown spots.
Sources of information
- Size
- Average of 96 eggs: Bent, Life Histories of North American Marsh Birds (U.S. National Museum Bulletin 135, 1927), p. 305.
- Description
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds: Sora, 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).
Make a 3D-printable copy of this egg →See posters with this egg →
Virginia Rail
Rallus limicola
- 32 × 24.5 mm
- Clutch: 4–13 eggs
White or buff with sparse irregular gray or brown spotting.
Sources of information
- Size
- Average of 73 eggs: Bent, Life Histories of North American Marsh Birds (U.S. National Museum Bulletin 135, 1927), p. 294.
Agrees with: Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds: Virginia Rail, Life History. - Description
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds: Virginia Rail, 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).
Make a 3D-printable copy of this egg →See posters with this egg →
Whooping Crane
Grus americana
- 98.4 × 62.4 mm
- Clutch: 1–3 eggs
Light brown or olive with brown splotches.
Sources of information
- Size
- Average of 38 eggs: Bent, Life Histories of North American Marsh Birds (U.S. National Museum Bulletin 135, 1927), p. 225.
- Description
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds: Whooping Crane, 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).
Make a 3D-printable copy of this egg →See posters with this egg →
Yellow Rail
Coturnicops noveboracensis
- 28.3 × 20.7 mm
- Clutch: 4–10 eggs
Creamy buff with dark reddish brown speckling.
Sources of information
- Size
- Average of 32 eggs: Bent, Life Histories of North American Marsh Birds (U.S. National Museum Bulletin 135, 1927), p. 320.
- Description
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds: Yellow Rail, 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).