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Red Junglefowl eggs

on 26th January 2014

“Discovered a clutch of 5 Red Junglefowl (Gallus gallus) eggs 2 days ago following a tip off from my estate manager (below left).

“I don’t have the habit of actively looking out for nests as I don’t wish to disturb the birds. But since he suspected that the nests had been abandoned with 2 broken eggs, I decided to look for them. They were hidden in a patch of Sphagneticola trilobata planted as ground cover, located at one corner of the parking lots (above right). The eggs were cold to the touch giving me the confidence that indeed they had been abandoned.

“I collected the 5 eggs. They measured between 43 and 47 mm in length and between 34 and 36 mm in diameter (below left). Total weight was about 140 gm. I could not measure them individually as the kitchen scale did not have the accuracy. The colour of the eggs matches that of Red Junglefowl x domestic chicken in this LINK.

“The following day one of the eggs turned bad and cracked. I peeled the egg shell and found a dead foetus occupying the space in the egg completely (above right).

“The remaining 4 eggs are now with David Tan of NUS for DNA analysis.”

Sun Chong Hong
Singapore
16th January 2014

Postscript:
“Am.y” asked: “So there were 7 eggs in total (you mention 2 were broken and you collected 5 unbroken ones)? Any idea why the eggs were abandoned?”

Sun Chong Hong answered: “The estate manager mentioned he saw 5 eggs and 2 broken ones. When I found them, I only saw 5 as shown in the attached images. I didn’t know what happened to the 2 broken eggs.

“I understand most people (myself included) would love to have a definitive answer. However, in real life, as happened in this case, the reasons can be any or combinations of some of the reasons listed below:

a) hen killed by python, cobra, dog, cat or possibly by passing vehicle;
b) nest exposed by gardener who may have trimmed the plants;
c) prying human eyes (there was a neighbour who mentioned that the eggs had disappeared);
d) others which I can’t think of.”

If you like this post please tap on the Like button at the left bottom of page. Any views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the authors/contributors, and are not endorsed by the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM, NUS) or its affiliated institutions. Readers are encouraged to use their discretion before making any decisions or judgements based on the information presented.

YC Wee

Dr Wee played a significant role as a green advocate in Singapore through his extensive involvement in various organizations and committees: as Secretary and Chairman for the Malayan Nature Society (Singapore Branch), and with the Nature Society (Singapore) as founding President (1978-1995). He has also served in the Nature Reserve Board (1987-1989), Nature Reserves Committee (1990-1996), National Council on the Environment/Singapore Environment Council (1992-1996), Work-Group on Nature Conservation (1992) and Inter-Varsity Council on the Environment (1995-1997). He is Patron of the Singapore Gardening Society and was appointed Honorary Museum Associate of the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM) in 2012. In 2005, Dr Wee started the Bird Ecology Study Group. With more than 6,000 entries, the website has become a valuable resource consulted by students, birdwatchers and researchers locally and internationally. The views and opinions expressed in this article are his own, and do not represent those of LKCNHM, the National University of Singapore or its affiliated institutions.

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