What would steal a robin's egg? (robins)

[no kudzu]

Well sad end of story. Just a few days later all the eggs were gone and none ever had a chance to hatch. I love robins and feel so bad. Guess there isn't much we can do except I haven't had an outdoor cat in more than 15 years.

[PattiB138]

We had a Robin's nest on our window sill outside one of our bedrooms and it had three eggs in it. Now, only one, I found one smashed in our driveway. i haven't seen the Mommy bird for two days now, would she abandon the nest if one egg still remained? Or, could she have been hurt by the thief?

[Cleonidas]

Squirrels do this also.

[brokencrayola]

I hate Bluejays because they are bad about stealing eggs. A bird could have taken then, most any kind of bird that does that, a cat, or a snake.

[Mack Knife]

^^^Bluejays. They will kick the baby birds out of the nest and eat them too. Then when they first learn to fly, the Bluejays will zoom in on them and pick them off.

[J Andb]

So the robin was not really-a-robin...but a victim?

[greatblueheron]

Perfect answer. Don't attribute bird behavior in terms of human behavior.

Birds are not MEAN! (but humans are....)

So sorry all are lost.
I've had the same happen from snakes and racoons.

Originally Posted by bjh

Some birds eat the eggs of other birds. Otherwise to diminish the population of the other birds in order to have less competition for food int he future. Of course, they don't sit down and think this out. They're acting on long established instincts.

[Woodrow LI]

There are quite a few things that would eat bird eggs. Although snakes often get blamed, very few snakes eat egg. Although many aboreal snakes will eat baby birds.

Other things that will eat bird eggs,

Nearly any other bird

Squirrels especially red squirrels

Mice

Rats

Cute little chipmunks

Cats

Raccoons

Opossums

[timberline742]

The problem with a predator like a snake (or most any predator) in this case is that they'll eat all of them, not just one.

[no kudzu]

I started this thread about this same time last year but the same thing happened this year too. We found 4 eggs in the nest, then 4 hatchlings. Ugly and featherless but growing along. Then before they could have possibly flown away there was only 1 baby. I was so sad for the 2 robins who hoovered around that nest. One even sat on the nest while DH had the leaf blower going to town only feet away from the nest. We watched the remaining baby get fat and feathery and then it was gone. I certainly do hope at least 1 baby made it to maturity.