BIRDS OF NEW YORK STATE 



131 



c Color of eggs of hole nesters 



Birds that have always nested in holes, like the woodpecker, 

 whose eggs are out of sight and have never needed protective 

 coloration, lay pure white eggs. Birds that have reverted to a 

 hole nesting habit, as shown by the fact that they still build 

 unnecessary nests at the bottom of the cavities, still lay colored 

 eggs. In some, like the bluebird, however, it seems as though 

 the eggs were in the process of fading. 



(1) Without nests — original type 



Downy woodpecker Nu WpD2 



(2) With nest — reversion type 



Crested flycatcher 

 Bluebird 



Nu 

 Nu 



FnC2 

 Bm3 



Compare eggs of bluebird with those of other thrushes. 



d Coloring typical for each family 



The color of the eggs is remarkably constant for each species 

 and is remarkably uniform for all the species of each family, 

 although some species show marked variation. The eggs of 

 species of different families, however, vary from pure white to 

 almost pure black. 



Thrushes — blue eggs 



Robin 



Veery 

 Wood thrush 



Owls — pure white 



Barn 

 Barred 

 Great horned 

 Long-eared 



Rails — tan spotted 



Clapper rail 



Coot 



Gallinule 



Nu Ro2 

 Nu Ve2 

 Nu TiW2 



Nu OwB3 



Nu OwC2 



Nu OwG3 



Nu OwL2 



Nu RD2 

 Nu Cn2 

 Nu GcF 



Sparrows- 

 Field 

 Song 

 Chipping 

 Vesper 

 White-throated 



bluish or grayish white spotted with brown 



Nu SpF2 



Nu 

 Nu 

 Nu 

 Nu 



SpR2 

 SpC2 

 SpV2 

 SpX2 



