How Long Do Robin Eggs Take To Hatch? Fun Facts For Kids

The American robin is commonly spotted flying around gardens all over North America.

An American robin is easy to spot due to its unique orange breast and its chirpy appearance, especially at the start of winter. Robins are not only found in cities and towns but also in open woodlands such as Alaska forests and other mountain forests as well.

Robins feed on worms and other insects as their main food sources but their diet depends on the time of the day. During the morning hours, robins prefer to eat worms but during the later hours of the day, they feed on fruits. These birds are classified as ground foragers as they fly down to the ground to eat which often results in these birds falling ill as the grass might have been sprayed with pesticides. Many birds consume contaminated grass, leading to pesticide poisoning. Robins are some of the most famous birds. They are found not only exclusively in America but all over Europe and the European robin also happens to be the national bird of Great Britain. There is a high chance that the bird tune you hear while the sun is setting is coming from a robin as this bird is often the last one to sing during the sunset, especially a male robin. While the sun sets, you can see these birds sitting on the branch of a tree or near the ground singing their melodious tunes.

What month do robins lay eggs?

A mother robin lays her eggs during the spring season following the cold winter winter. Out of all the birds that lay eggs during the spring season, robins are perhaps the earliest ones to do so. After robins return from where they migrated to for the winter, it is common to lots of robin nests, meaning that the female robin and its male companion are ready to mate.

American robins generally lay eggs between April to July, sometimes extending until August. During this season, robins produce young ones in two or three different sets with each set containing around three to five eggs. Female robins do not leave their nests unattended for more than a few minutes. The number of eggs per set gradually decreases, and the highest number of eggs is generally found in the first set and the least number of eggs is found in the third set. A robin builds different nests for every set of eggs as a female robin only lays one set of eggs in a particular nest. It is the female robin that builds the nests for laying eggs, typically on the branch of a tree or some other suitable place away from predators. A robin nest is typically made up of twigs, long grass, paper, and feathers which are all woven together. A female robin also smears some mud towards the inner bowl to strengthen the nest. After this, a female lays three to five eggs per set but only lays one egg a day. The breeding season occurs once or twice a year, and once a baby robin hatches from its egg, both parents take care of it.

How many times does a robin lay eggs?

After a robin's nest is built, a female robin begins to mate during the breeding season which generally lasts from April to July. During this period, female robins lay eggs in multiple batches which are known as broods.

Usually, a female robin has two or three broods per season but in certain cases, there can be four successful broods. One egg is laid every day in every batch of eggs laid by a robin. After one batch of eggs is laid, a female robin changes nests. Interestingly, a mother robin begins to incubate her eggs only after she has laid all the eggs in a brood as this allows the eggs to receive equal heat. This means that they all develop at the same pace. Incubation to keep the eggs warm is carried out by the female robins and not the males. It takes around 13 days, two weeks on average to incubate all the eggs and provide them the required amount of heat. Once the eggs have hatched, young robins start to hatch and are completely naked. They are entirely dependent on their parents for warmth and food for the first few weeks. Under ideal conditions, feathers start appearing on a baby robin's body by the time it is three to four days old, following which you can slowly see the young robin opening its eyes. After the first week, the chicks in the robin nest will open their eyes. Both parents take care of the baby chicks for the first three weeks. Sometimes, parents look after their babies until they have developed their pair of wings and feathers have begun to grow. Male robins take over the responsibility of looking after the chicks because female robins begin preparing for the next clutch of eggs. Young robins are ready to leave after two weeks. Robins tend to build a new nest for every brood but sometimes, they reuse the previous one.

What do robin eggs look like?

A robin's eggs are perhaps the most unique feature of the bird. Most birds have white-colored eggs but robins have has blue-colored eggshells. In many parts of the world, people have named this particular shade of blue, 'robin's egg blue'. There is a reason why robin eggs are blue in color.

Robin eggs turn blue because of the pigments present in the blood of the mother robin. The hemoglobin present in the ruptured blood cells is transformed into bile pigments and is eventually carried to the part of the robin's body where the eggshell is formed. Robins do not need to consume anything extraordinary to lay blue-colored eggs as it happens naturally.

Why are robin eggs not hatching?

Even after a mother bird lays her eggs and spends time incubating them, sometimes they do not hatch. This phenomenon is common and happens quite often.

There are several reasons that prevent eggs from hatching. The most common mistake can be assuming that an egg has been abandoned by its mother and that it won't hatch too early. Birds often lay eggs one at a time, but only start to incubate once all the eggs have been laid. If an egg is on its own in the nest, it could mean that the bird is waiting to lay all her eggs first before incubating. It is advised not to touch the eggs of a bird unless you are completely sure that the eggs have been abandoned by the bird. Also, an egg might not be hatching because it is infertile.

Unsuitable temperature is another potential reason for an egg not hatching. If the temperature of the egg is too low or too high, it does not hatch. The humidity level is also important. Along with temperature, an egg will not hatch when the humidity level is low. An egg does not hatch in low humidity because the egg loses a lot of moisture during the hatching process, and the baby chick cannot move freely inside, resulting in death

The eggshell being weak or being exposed to chemicals is another potential reason why an egg does not hatch. Also, eggs that are not incubated correctly or picked up and dropped by other birds or predators experience trauma. Trauma is another reason why some eggs do not hatch.