Empty Eggshells

[CLOTHEAD]

Have been finding a lot of broken and empty eggshells in the garden over the last couple of weeks... reasonably large too - though smaller than a hens egg... Any ideas on which predator does this?

[cathfromsaron]

guessing ... magpies!

[chaptazbru]

Could they be pigeon's eggs? It will probably be magpies destroying them.

[baza]

or squirrels.

[chaptazbru]

Yes, could be squirrels also.

[CLOTHEAD]

Thanks all.

Yes - I reckon they're pigeons eggs so I guess Magpies or Squirrels are the culprits..

Although having just seen what havoc the pigeons have been doing in the veg patch I have mixed feelings about it now!

[chaptazbru]

I think pigeons nest all year round, so they'll soon recuperate anyway. I'm not a big fan of pigeons, particularly as one pooped on me when I walked under a lampost recently !

[mandy22]

some birds (not sure which thou) take the empty shells away from their nest to an area further away, when the chicks have hatched, to try keep predators away from the nest (read this in a book once and remember thinking how clever the birds are to move the shells further away) maybe this is what you are finding?

[Toes]

Yep, Mandy is correct, most birds take the shells away from the nest, so probably not predators, who would just crunch the shell up, not leave them in neat little halves.

[Cetti]

I would add Foxes, as they adore eggs, but as they don't climb trees, Magpies, Grey Squirrels, Jackdaws or any of the crow family....or even Rats.

[littleja]

Magpies. I have seen them this week stealing eggs from nests in the surrounding trees. The other birds mob them but it does not always work. Sad really magpies acting this way, such beautiful birds too.

[rowanwitch]

Sadly its simply survival ...easy meals will be taken in preference to difficult ones ... We used to put dried dog kibble out in the garden the crows and magpies loved it and as it was an even easier high protein meal they kept using it as a food source.. might help protect other birds