Egg Identification?

[Kinny]

My husband found 4 bird eggs 2 weeks ago in a 'ground nest' in our backyard, but no parents came to the next for a few days so my Husband cleaned the eggs and put them in one of our little egg incubators.

I don't have any photos at the moment, but the eggs are about 4-6cm from the point at the top to the bottom. They are a dark-ish teal/blue with dark/almost black speckles.

Any one know what it could be?

We are in South Australia along the Coast-line.

Here is an image i found which is the closest I could find on the internet to the real eggs:

EGG #6, 48

 

[Betrisher]

I think they might be Plovers' eggs. Plovers nest in a bare scrape on the ground and rely on camouflage to keep the eggs (and chicks) safe. If there's a pair of Plovers around, it'd probably be better to put the eggs back at the nest site (if you can find it). Hand-raising baby Plovers would be a nightmare!

 

[Betrisher]

Sorry to follow my own post, but I found this page:

The Species of Concern _ Southcoast Shorebirds

Do the eggs or the bird look familiar?

 

[Kinny]

Yay! Thank you for answering! Ah. Haha whys that? Are they nutters?

Hehe no worries. I have seen only a few around, but not anywhere near our place. They are usually further into town, we are somewhat on the outskirts of our town. The birds we get in our yard usually are Karrawongs, blackbirds, wrens, sparrows, New Holland Honeyeaters, Singing Bushlarks, and a few ravens/crows every now and then. But I've never seen any Plovers near or on our property.

Oh and Cranes!

 

[Kinny]

Ok I think it's Plover eggs. My Husband apparently saw Plovers and Cranes around for a little while, and then they just stopped coming a few days before he took the eggs. Hasn't seen any since. My husbands still hoping it's Crane eggs haha, which would be much nicer, but if it's Plovers I'm sure we'll grow to love them. Good thing we have a heap of insectivore hand-rearing mixture. Though it's not great quality.. pretty much just crushed up dried insects.. so we'll probably mix it with our great quality Vetafarm Neocare.

Once they have been hand-raised, I am unsure if we would be allowed to keep them, or if it'd be better for them to go to some sort of Wild Bird Conservation type centre.. thing....?

 

[thekarens]

It's never a good thing to take eggs from the wild. I'd turn the chicks over to a retainer if you can. Over here it's illegal to keep native species, not sure about there.

 

[Kinny]

Well no, I didn't really agree with my husband taking them.. but now that he has and the parents are nowhere to be found.. I can't bring myself to just leave them completely alone outside to perish. I'd never forgive myself.

So before I hand-raise them, or when they are close to weaning? It's not illegal here if you have a license.. and if you hand-raise them and then hand them in somewhere it's ok, it's just if you try to keep them and especially breed them. I'm just not sure what sort of place I'd hand them in to.

 

[SpotsandSally]

Plovers are precocial - they'd be easy as pie to raise. They eat as soon as they're walking, which is pretty much from birth. It'd be like owning chickens, turkeys, etc. probably more like turkeys.
Just need a good, nutrional food.
I'd love to see the results

 

[Kinny]

Plovers are precocial - they'd be easy as pie to raise. They eat as soon as they're walking, which is pretty much from birth. It'd be like owning chickens, turkeys, etc. probably more like turkeys.
Just need a good, nutrional food.
I'd love to see the results

Oh! So would they be like our Japanese Quails? We have 15 babies at the moment, some are not even a full 24 hours old, and as soon as they started walking (within an hour of hatching) they were eating crushed chicken starter pellets on their own and drinking water. So Plovers are similar in that regard..? Never owned Turkeys.. hubby wants them but I despise them lol.

Will certainly post pictures of them in the 'Other' section when they hatch.

 

[SpotsandSally]

Plovers are precocial - they'd be easy as pie to raise. They eat as soon as they're walking, which is pretty much from birth. It'd be like owning chickens, turkeys, etc. probably more like turkeys.
Just need a good, nutrional food.
I'd love to see the results

Oh! So would they be like our Japanese Quails? We have 15 babies at the moment, some are not even a full 24 hours old, and as soon as they started walking (within an hour of hatching) they were eating crushed chicken starter pellets on their own and drinking water. So Plovers are similar in that regard..? Never owned Turkeys.. hubby wants them but I despise them lol.

Will certainly post pictures of them in the 'Other' section when they hatch.

Ohhh you are despising the most comical and sweet bird ever. They do smell more then quail, but if you get say, midget whites, they are so sweet (mine followed me around like mama), and so dumb, it's just hilarious. C'mon, try them at least once, pwitty pwease :3

Yeah, precocial means they are fully feathered (well fluffed) at birth, can walk & find their own food. So all types of poultry or waterfowl, and then the odd species like plovers.
Bringing Up Salt and Pepper - A Pair of Plover Chicks | WingedHearts.org
Here's someone who found 2 orphaned plovers. I suggest you look at their feeding diet ^^ they should be a bit taller then your quail, but I'm sure they'd fit right in, but for disease sake, I'd keep them as seperate as possible.

 

[Kinny]

Plovers are precocial - they'd be easy as pie to raise. They eat as soon as they're walking, which is pretty much from birth. It'd be like owning chickens, turkeys, etc. probably more like turkeys.
Just need a good, nutrional food.
I'd love to see the results

Oh! So would they be like our Japanese Quails? We have 15 babies at the moment, some are not even a full 24 hours old, and as soon as they started walking (within an hour of hatching) they were eating crushed chicken starter pellets on their own and drinking water. So Plovers are similar in that regard..? Never owned Turkeys.. hubby wants them but I despise them lol.

Will certainly post pictures of them in the 'Other' section when they hatch.

Ohhh you are despising the most comical and sweet bird ever. They do smell more then quail, but if you get say, midget whites, they are so sweet (mine followed me around like mama), and so dumb, it's just hilarious. C'mon, try them at least once, pwitty pwease :3

Yeah, precocial means they are fully feathered (well fluffed) at birth, can walk & find their own food. So all types of poultry or waterfowl, and then the odd species like plovers.
Bringing Up Salt and Pepper - A Pair of Plover Chicks | WingedHearts.org
Here's someone who found 2 orphaned plovers. I suggest you look at their feeding diet ^^ they should be a bit taller then your quail, but I'm sure they'd fit right in, but for disease sake, I'd keep them as seperate as possible.

Oh fine. I'll try them.. one day... when my hubby Loki can find a turkey haha.

Ah! Oh thank you for the info! Definitely.. I was concerned about possible disease. We have 10 aviaries and all sorts of wire mesh on the way so I'm sure we could make a separate 'run' for them.

I just called the local National and Wildlife Park and had a little chat with one of the ladies there. She will get another lady who is experienced with all the bird species especially Plovers to give me a call back hopefully today as she's not in yet. The woman who I did speak to said it'd probably be best if I was to look after them until they are hatched and 'stable' so as not to stress them out by moving them to a new place etc. But I will see what the other lady says. I kind of want to look after them myself for a little while partly out of curiosity to know what they are like.. but they are now my babies! No one touchies! Except experienced Plover people. >.> Don't mind me and my over-protective motherness of eggs and baby birdies...

 

[SpotsandSally]

Oh! So would they be like our Japanese Quails? We have 15 babies at the moment, some are not even a full 24 hours old, and as soon as they started walking (within an hour of hatching) they were eating crushed chicken starter pellets on their own and drinking water. So Plovers are similar in that regard..? Never owned Turkeys.. hubby wants them but I despise them lol.

Will certainly post pictures of them in the 'Other' section when they hatch.

Ohhh you are despising the most comical and sweet bird ever. They do smell more then quail, but if you get say, midget whites, they are so sweet (mine followed me around like mama), and so dumb, it's just hilarious. C'mon, try them at least once, pwitty pwease :3

Yeah, precocial means they are fully feathered (well fluffed) at birth, can walk & find their own food. So all types of poultry or waterfowl, and then the odd species like plovers.
Bringing Up Salt and Pepper - A Pair of Plover Chicks | WingedHearts.org
Here's someone who found 2 orphaned plovers. I suggest you look at their feeding diet ^^ they should be a bit taller then your quail, but I'm sure they'd fit right in, but for disease sake, I'd keep them as seperate as possible.

Oh fine. I'll try them.. one day... when my hubby Loki can find a turkey haha.

Ah! Oh thank you for the info! Definitely.. I was concerned about possible disease. We have 10 aviaries and all sorts of wire mesh on the way so I'm sure we could make a separate 'run' for them.

I just called the local National and Wildlife Park and had a little chat with one of the ladies there. She will get another lady who is experienced with all the bird species especially Plovers to give me a call back hopefully today as she's not in yet. The woman who I did speak to said it'd probably be best if I was to look after them until they are hatched and 'stable' so as not to stress them out by moving them to a new place etc. But I will see what the other lady says. I kind of want to look after them myself for a little while partly out of curiosity to know what they are like.. but they are now my babies! No one touchies! Except experienced Plover people. >.> Don't mind me and my over-protective motherness of eggs and baby birdies...

LOL, well when you do you shouldn't be disappointed (but don't get any toms, toms are a-holes, generally speaking)

Good to know. And hopefully you'll get to watch then bloom into beautiful adults!

 

[Kinny]

Ohhh you are despising the most comical and sweet bird ever. They do smell more then quail, but if you get say, midget whites, they are so sweet (mine followed me around like mama), and so dumb, it's just hilarious. C'mon, try them at least once, pwitty pwease :3

Yeah, precocial means they are fully feathered (well fluffed) at birth, can walk & find their own food. So all types of poultry or waterfowl, and then the odd species like plovers.
Bringing Up Salt and Pepper - A Pair of Plover Chicks | WingedHearts.org
Here's someone who found 2 orphaned plovers. I suggest you look at their feeding diet ^^ they should be a bit taller then your quail, but I'm sure they'd fit right in, but for disease sake, I'd keep them as seperate as possible.

Oh fine. I'll try them.. one day... when my hubby Loki can find a turkey haha.

Ah! Oh thank you for the info! Definitely.. I was concerned about possible disease. We have 10 aviaries and all sorts of wire mesh on the way so I'm sure we could make a separate 'run' for them.

I just called the local National and Wildlife Park and had a little chat with one of the ladies there. She will get another lady who is experienced with all the bird species especially Plovers to give me a call back hopefully today as she's not in yet. The woman who I did speak to said it'd probably be best if I was to look after them until they are hatched and 'stable' so as not to stress them out by moving them to a new place etc. But I will see what the other lady says. I kind of want to look after them myself for a little while partly out of curiosity to know what they are like.. but they are now my babies! No one touchies! Except experienced Plover people. >.> Don't mind me and my over-protective motherness of eggs and baby birdies...

LOL, well when you do you shouldn't be disappointed (but don't get any toms, toms are a-holes, generally speaking)

Good to know. And hopefully you'll get to watch then bloom into beautiful adults!

Hahaha. Well, I'm not sure they're even going to hatch now.. They've been in the incubator for 3 weeks now so 21 days, and apparently they hatch around 15-18 days... :/