Anyone know what kind of bird eggs these are?

Teresa C
by Teresa C
I found this nest in a spider plant hanging basket that I had set on the ground for a couple weeks. My best guess is Carolina Wren (4 eggs) & 1 cowbird egg. I opened the nest (with no gloves on) to look inside & almost fainted when I saw & accidentally touched the snake skin. :)
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  11 answers
  • Shaun Roney Shaun Roney on Apr 28, 2014
    That snake skin would make me pass out if I discovered it by accidentally touching it! What pretty speckles on the eggs though!
  • Ock Du Spock Ock Du Spock on Apr 29, 2014
    No idea! Such pretty eggs though. The snake skin is a bit freaky!
  • NanaWells NanaWells on Apr 29, 2014
    are you sure those eggs don't belong to that snake ??
    • Lynne Webb Lynne Webb on Jul 25, 2017

      This is an old answer to an old question. I think the eggs belong to a bird and a 'squatter'. My thought is that they were already laid when the writer put the plant on the ground. It's unlikely the snake found the prior. Looks like it's a good place to peel off the old skin and that's all 'he' wanted. Then he moved on.

  • Susie Patino Susie Patino on Apr 29, 2014
    I believe their red breasted nuthatch
  • Shelley Shelley on Apr 29, 2014
    From what I can tell it is a Carolina Wren with a Brown-headed Cowbird egg thrown in. http://www.thebirdersreport.com/egg-and-nest-identification http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown-headed_Cowbird
  • Anne B Anne B on Apr 29, 2014
    I'm with Laurie. I'd be concerned they are snake eggs. http://www.ehow.com/how_4866367_identify-snake-eggs.html#page=6
  • I believe you are right. That is a cowbird egg and if I ever find them in nests I take them out. the cowbird egg will hatch and the chick will eat so much that the momma bird will keep feeding the cowbird and the other chicks will starve to death. cowbirds do not raise their own and they lay eggs in unsuspecting nests of other birds.
  • Lorah Marquardt Lorah Marquardt on Apr 29, 2014
    Laurie and Anne--snake eggs have a soft shell and are generally buried in decomposing leaf litter. The heat of decomp keeps the eggs warm. You might find them in a compost pile but not in a constructed nest like this one.
    • See 2 previous
    • Lynne Webb Lynne Webb on Jul 25, 2017

      You are correct. My husband used to find them in his garden in the soft earth enriched with compost. Just the right temp to hatch those eggs.

  • Julie Gibson Julie Gibson on Apr 30, 2014
    The brown ones are Wren's eggs. They love my spider plants too. I have to be careful when taking my laundry off the line because within a matter of hours there will be nests in the pockets of my fitted sheets or inside my jeans. They are very industrious little creatures! They use whatever they can find to build their nests, including snake skin, pieces of plastic bag, dog hair, etc. I've read that the snake skin is supposedly a great find as it is supposed to be a deterrent to predators.
  • Sandy Harmon Sandy Harmon on Apr 30, 2014
    I would definitely get rid of the cowbird egg. They hatch earlier than others and do take over a nest. I have a swarm of them that come into my feeders every day and the cardinals, finches, chickadees, nuthatches don't stand a chance at getting any food until they are finished.
  • Linda T Linda T on Apr 30, 2014
    It's really hard to find egg colours, no matter how many times you change the title, but I think the larger egg is either a cowbird or a cuckoo. When the cuckoo hatches, it is strong enough to push the other eggs out of the nest!