Bird enthusiasts, conservationists, and anyone else can now access a brand new online database with hundreds of various bird eggs. recently launched by the Royal Saskatchewan Museum.
The website showcases a wide variety from Saskatchewan including the western meadowlark, killdeer, vesper sparrow, clay-coloured sparrow, and even the sprague's pipit, an illusive species that's been classified as threatened in Canada since 2000.
Dr. Ryan Fisher, curator of vertibrate zoology at the Royal Saskatchewan Museum, is thrilled for people to be able to dip in to this easily accessible plethora of information.
"The website has photographs of just over 370 bird species that regularly nest and breed in Canada," said Dr. Fisher. "It's live and ready to go ad people can start checking it out right away."
Additionally the website includes a seach engine and a feature that allows the user to compare different eggs on the website, making it an ideal learning tool.
"It's really important for people who work with birds, to be able to identify any nests they fid as part of work activities," he said. "We also think it's a great resource available for researchers if they're interested in looking at things like egg colouration or egg size."
Fisher notes that people should not attempt to flush birds off their nests to see the eggs, as it's illegal to harass nesting birds in Canada.
"We're making this if you incidentally come cross a bird nest and want to figure out what it is," added Dr. Fisher.
Interested parties can check out the database at www.birdeggsofcanada.ca.