Royal Saskatchewan Museum launches online bird egg database

TheRoyal Saskatchewan Museum in Regina has launched a website featuring bird egg photographs for more than 300 species that nest in Canada.

Ryan Fisher, the museum's curator of vertebrate zoology, said the idea for the database came after staff found there was very little information on bird eggs in Canada.

"We kind of first started by taking a look at what was out there and there's a couple of amazing reference books that are available to help you identify bird eggs," he told CBC Radio's The Morning Editionhost Stefani Langenegger.

"It's kind of hard to carry a book around with you when you're out looking for birds."

LISTEN | Royal Saskatchewan Museum puts all its eggs on one website:

The Morning Edition - Sask5:59Royal Saskatchewan Museum puts all its eggs on one website

The museum has photographed the eggs of hundreds of species of birds which nest in Canada and they're all in one place thanks to the RSM's catalogue. We talk with Ryan Fisher to learn more.

Fisher said there weren't really any online resources, so they decided to fill that gap.

"One of the things that wasn't available previously is to really be able to compare across different birds, have those measurements there and really be able to get a good look at the coloration," he said.

The project started in 2021 by getting pictures of all the eggs in the collection at the Royal Saskatchewan Museum, but Fisher said they realized they "weren't even close" to having all the breeding birds in the country.

Staff next went to the Royal Alberta Museum to photograph their collection, then the University of Saskatchewan, which also has "an amazing egg collection," Fisher said.

He said they are hoping to partner with other museums in Canada to add more birdeggs to the collection, and complete the database in the future.

This is more of a look-but-don't-touch approach to studying birds and their eggs.

"Almost all of the birds in Canada are protected by the Migratory Bird Act, which means that you're not allowed to possess nests;you're not allowed to harass nesting birds," said Fisher.

The website birdeggsofcanada.ca gives people the opportunity to safely learn more about the differences between bird eggs.

"The amount of diversity in bird eggs, size, and coloration is really amazing," said Fisher.

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This has been a wet and wild week of weather in Saskatchewan, with snow and rain, freezing temperatures, and blustery winds. Even those of us who live indoors found it tough. But how about the birds in our midst? How have they been faring? Host Shauna Powers gets some reflections from Jody Allair. The Director of Community Engagement for Birds Canada, and a producer of "The Warblers" podcast, also has some great tips for keeping nesting birds safe.