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1 March 2006 Abnormal Eggs and Incubation Behavior in Northern Bobwhite
Fidel Hernández, Juan A. Arredondo, Froylán Hernández, Fred C. Bryant, Leonard A. Brennan
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Abstract

A long-term (>5 years) study of Northern Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) provided the first record of runt eggs and two observations of prolonged incubation. During 2004, we located two clutches (n = 11 and 9 eggs)—laid by the same hen— consisting entirely of runt eggs. Mean length, width, and mass were 18.8 mm, 15.4 mm, and 2.0 g, respectively, 26% of the volume and 24% of the mass of typical bobwhite eggs. Based on our long-term data set for bobwhites (n = 3,566 eggs), runt eggs occur at a frequency of 0.56%, within the range (0.02–4.32%) reported for other avian species. The two records of prolonged incubation behavior represented 75 days (326%) and 47 days (204%) beyond the normal incubation period (23 days) of bobwhites. This prolonged incubation behavior is in excess of the time frame reported for most birds exhibiting prolonged incubation (50–100% beyond normal incubation).

Fidel Hernández, Juan A. Arredondo, Froylán Hernández, Fred C. Bryant, and Leonard A. Brennan "Abnormal Eggs and Incubation Behavior in Northern Bobwhite," The Wilson Journal of Ornithology 118(1), 114-116, (1 March 2006). https://doi.org/10.1676/05-016.1
Received: 31 January 2005; Accepted: 1 October 2005; Published: 1 March 2006
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