What would steal a robin's egg? (mice, Maine, birds, snakes)

[TroutDude]

Raccoons have also been known to eat eggs (and fledglings). I've even read that squirrels may dine on them as well.

[Almrausch]

Originally Posted by LauraC

Why do they do it? What do they do with them?

I watched how crows raided a bird nest and than they just drop the eggs. Sometimes they eat it. As TroutDude mentioned squirrels eat meat and eggs. Nature can be just as violent

[mainebrokerman]

a robin made a nest nearly ground level around the foundation of our house 3 years ago, i thought it was odd-but she was always squwaking and protective,,,the ugly chicks hatched,,,,,i left worms beside the nest,,,and the robin would take it and feed the chicks..

one morning ,,,,we went out and there was a massacre- chick parts all over the place---not sure what it was, a skunk, a raccoon or maybe a cat

[Blinx]

Last year a robin kept trying to dive bomb me when I sat in my lawn chair -- I finally realized she'd built a nest in the arborvitae next to the chair. 4 beautiful eggs! I moved the chair and checked on the next the next week -- eggs all gone, no shell parts, nothing. I'm assuming crows got them -- I've always got crows flying through the yard.

I keep checking all the shrubs and low trees -- no new nest yet. Bummer.

[topher5150]

It's those pesky neighbor kids

[Cambium]

Yeah, Blue Jays are known to steal the eggs.

I've witnessed Robins building a nest and a Mourning Dove stealing it.

I guess after 2 trys building their own nest and failing they said screw it, the Robins know how to build. LOL

Poor Robins

[CFoulke]

Could also have been a snake who discovered the nest and decided he was in the mood for an omelet while he scrambled from the scene of the crime!!! Seriously, Mom and Dad had a huge clematis on a trellis near the back door and we frequently had birds nesting in the woody stems and foliage. Mom was going outside one day and screamed bloody murder - a black snake was in the clematis and heading for the nest. Classic Mom - scream, grab broom, beat senseless.....end of story!!!! Good Lord, I miss Her.....

oooh, I almost forgot this. Couple of years ago hubby and I were at his Aunt and Uncle's in Indiana, sitting in the back yard. There was a huge tree with a nest of baby birds inside. We could hear them chirping and mama was hovering and making a racket. A pair of squirrels was attempting to get into the nest and one finally succeeded. Mama bird went crazy....we went out and tried to shoo the squirrels away but they were so high in the tree they didn't feel threatened. We saw one of the squirrels exit the nest with a baby bird - they were eating it. I have never felt the same about squirrels ever since - I never knew they would do something like that.

[Cape Cod Todd]

Pretty much anything will steal and eat a birds egg including humans if we are hungry enough. Besides the parent birds swooping around a predators head and maybe pecking at it a birds egg is a easy meal ready made and served in a little nest.
Sad yes but it's natures way.

[Rakin]

My mother lives in the country and moved her bird feeders from up close around her house out aways. They attracted birds who built their nests in the shrubs and then the snakes came in to eat the eggs.

She was getting a lot of Water Moccasins in her flowerbeds feeding on the young birds and eggs.

[stepka]

Originally Posted by TroutDude

Raccoons have also been known to eat eggs (and fledglings). I've even read that squirrels may dine on them as well.

Yes I saw a squirrel headed up a tree once with a vole in its mouth. I think most people don't realize that squirrels are omnivores. Lest we be shocked, let us remember how much we enjoyed that BBQ steak last week.