Egg-Collecting & Egg Health
Egg collecting
Before the implications were fully realised, birds' eggs were taken from the wild by collectors, naturalists, museums, hobby bird watchers and children. It is now obvious, with so many species being threatened by man's encroachment on their environment, in a multitude of different ways, that many species of bird are fighting to avoid extinction. It is ironic that the eggs were taken, because of the fascination with wild birds, yet that very activity threatened the existence of the object of interest and fascination. Not only does the taking of eggs reduce the reproductive potential of a species, it also removes genetic material from the population of that species
The taking of wild birds' eggs is rightly illegal in the UK. It should be illegal worldwide. In the UK, all birds, their nests and eggs are protected by law (Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981), except game, which are covered by the Game Acts. Schedule 1 birds are given special protection when nesting, even concerning photography:
SCHEDULE 1
Birds that are protected by special penalties and that may not be photographed at or near a nest without a licence:
| Avocet
Bee-eater Bittern Bittern, Little Bluethroat Brambling Bunting, Cirl Bunting, Lapland Bunting, Snow Buzzard, Honey Chough Corncrake Crake, Spotted Crossbills (all species) Divers (all species) Dotterel Duck, Long-tailed Eagle, Golden Eagle, White-tailed Falcon, Gyr Fieldfare Firecrest Garganey Godwit, Black-tailed Goldeneye Goose, Greylag (Outer Hebrides, Caithness, Sutherland & Wester Ross only) Goshawk |
Grebe, Black-necked
Grebe, Slavonian Greenshank Gull, Little Gull, Mediterranean Harriers (all species) Heron, Purple Hobby Hoopoe Kingfisher Kite, Red Merlin Oriole, Golden Osprey Owl, Barn Owl, Snowy Peregrine Petrel, Leach’s Phalarope, Red-necked Pintail Plover, Kentish Plover, Little ringed Quail, Common Redstart, Black Redwing Rosefinch, Scarlet Ruff Sandpiper, Green |
Sandpiper, Purple
Sandpiper, Wood Scaup Scoter, Common Scoter, Velvet Serin Shorelark Shrike, Red-backed Spoonbill Stilt, Black-winged Stint, Temminck’s Stone-curlew Swan, Bewick’s Swan, Whooper Tern, Black Tern, Little Tern, Roseate Tit, Bearded Tit, Crested Treecreeper, Short-toed Warbler, Cetti’s Warbler, Dartford Warbler, Marsh Warbler, Savi’s Whimbrel Woodlark Wryneck |
Egg health
On the topic of health, the shape of an egg and the strength and texture of its shell can be an indicator of disease or nutritional problems. Homeopathy and good nutrition have an excellent track record in the treatment of such disorders, whether in bird collections or domestic fowl.
