I found 2 little blue bird eggs in my mailbox. I previously noticed a bird flying in & out of my mailbox. It hasn’t been back to the nest in over 3 months, that I’ve noticed. Could the baby birds still hatch. If so how long does it take.
Hi Doris,
Those eggs are likely very rotten after 3 months. Eggs have to be incubated by the parents around the clock. Incubation period varies based on the species, but generally anywhere from 2-3 weeks. Is this an unused mailbox? If it is an active box, then it would be best to block off wherever the little bird got in, to prevent this from happening again. As to the eggs and any nest, the best thing to do is discard them under a bush or tree or someplace outdoors where it can “go back to nature”. It is actually against Federal Law to do anything with a nest or eggs, generally, but since these are in a mail box and the birds have abandoned it, it’s OK to discard it somewhere else outside. It is also illegal to keep the nest. I know that sounds strange, but all native and migratory birds, their feathers, nests and eggs are protected. The feathers, nests and eggs are included in this protection because otherwise a dishonest person could kill a bird for its feathers and claim they just found the feathers. Just a little bit of trivia for you. Maybe the little birds will come back and build a nest in a better place and you will get to see some chicks. We actually have a great webinar on what to do when you find wildlife, just in case you need it in the future:
Thank you for asking Lafeber,
Brenda
