Oology
Encyclopedia
Oology is a branch of ornithology
studying bird
egg
s, nests
and breeding behavior. Oology can also refer to the hobby of collecting wild birds' eggs, sometimes called birdnesting or egging, which is now illegal in many jurisdictions.
Oology became increasingly popular in Britain
and the United States
during the 1800s. Observing birds from afar was difficult because high quality binoculars
were not readily available. Thus it was often more practical to shoot the birds, or collect their eggs. While the collection of the eggs of wild birds by amateurs was considered a respectable scientific pursuit in the 19th Century and early 20th Century, from the mid 20th Century onwards it was increasingly regarded as being a hobby rather than a scientific discipline.
was willing to have his teeth broken to remove a rare egg that became stuck in his mouth. He had placed the egg in his mouth while climbing down a tree.
, made it impossible to collect eggs legally, the practice of egg collecting, or 'egging', continued as an 'underground' or illegal activity in the UK and elsewhere. Collectors can, in the UK, following the enactment of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000, risk imprisonment for up to six months for the possession of the eggs of wild birds. The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
has been particularly active in fighting illegal egg collection.
Ornithology
Ornithology is a branch of zoology that concerns the study of birds. Several aspects of ornithology differ from related disciplines, due partly to the high visibility and the aesthetic appeal of birds...
studying bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
egg
Bird egg
Bird eggs are laid by females and incubated for a time that varies according to the species; a single young hatches from each egg. Average clutch sizes range from one to about 17...
s, nests
Bird nest
A bird nest is the spot in which a bird lays and incubates its eggs and raises its young. Although the term popularly refers to a specific structure made by the bird itself—such as the grassy cup nest of the American Robin or Eurasian Blackbird, or the elaborately woven hanging nest of the...
and breeding behavior. Oology can also refer to the hobby of collecting wild birds' eggs, sometimes called birdnesting or egging, which is now illegal in many jurisdictions.
As a science
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
during the 1800s. Observing birds from afar was difficult because high quality binoculars
Binoculars
Binoculars, field glasses or binocular telescopes are a pair of identical or mirror-symmetrical telescopes mounted side-by-side and aligned to point accurately in the same direction, allowing the viewer to use both eyes when viewing distant objects...
were not readily available. Thus it was often more practical to shoot the birds, or collect their eggs. While the collection of the eggs of wild birds by amateurs was considered a respectable scientific pursuit in the 19th Century and early 20th Century, from the mid 20th Century onwards it was increasingly regarded as being a hobby rather than a scientific discipline.
As a hobby
Egg collecting was still popular into the 1900s, even as its scientific value became less prominent. Egg collectors built large collections and traded with one another. Frequently, collectors would go to extreme lengths to obtain eggs of rare birds. For example, Charles BendireCharles Bendire
Major Charles Emil Bendire was a United States Army soldier and noted ornithologist and oologist. The Bendire's Thrasher is named for him.-Early life:...
was willing to have his teeth broken to remove a rare egg that became stuck in his mouth. He had placed the egg in his mouth while climbing down a tree.
As a crime
As legislation, such as the Wild Birds Protection Act 1954 in the United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, made it impossible to collect eggs legally, the practice of egg collecting, or 'egging', continued as an 'underground' or illegal activity in the UK and elsewhere. Collectors can, in the UK, following the enactment of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000, risk imprisonment for up to six months for the possession of the eggs of wild birds. The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
Bird Notes and News was first published in April 1903.The title changed to 'Bird Notes' in 1947. In the 1950s, there were four copies per year . Each volume covered two years, spread over three calendar years...
has been particularly active in fighting illegal egg collection.
Methods
When collecting eggs, normally the whole clutch of eggs is taken. Rarer species of birds may be targeted. Because eggs will rot if the contents are left inside, they must be 'blown' to remove the contents. Although collectors will take eggs at all stages of incubation, freshly laid eggs are much easier to 'blow', usually through a small, inconspicuous hole drilled with a specialized drill through the side of the eggshell.Major research collections
- Western Foundation of Vertebrate ZoologyWestern Foundation of Vertebrate ZoologyThe Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology is a charitable institution based in Camarillo, California, USA.It hosts a natural history collection specializing in eggs and nests of birds...
(176,000 clutches with 800,000 eggs) - The British Museum (610,000 eggs)
- Delaware Museum of Natural HistoryDelaware Museum of Natural HistoryThe Delaware Museum of Natural History was founded in 1957 by John Eleuthere du Pont near Greenville, Delaware and opened in 1972. It is known for its extensive collections of seashells, birds, and bird eggs. It is the oldest natural history museum in Delaware....
(520,000 eggs) - National Museum of Natural HistoryNational Museum of Natural HistoryThe National Museum of Natural History is a natural history museum administered by the Smithsonian Institution, located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., United States. Admission is free and the museum is open 364 days a year....
(190,000 eggs) - San Bernardino County Museum (41,000 clutches with 135,000 eggs)
Oology related publications
Numerous books, and at one point a journal, have been published on egg collecting and identification:- Thomas Mayo BrewerThomas Mayo BrewerThomas Mayo Brewer was an American naturalist.Mayo is best known as the joint author, with Baird and Ridgway, of A History of North American Birds , which was the first attempt since John James Audubon's to complete the study of American ornithology.Brewer was born in Boston...
, (1814–80), an AmericanUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
ornithologist, wrote most of the biographical sketches in the History of North American Birds, by Baird, Brewer, and Ridgway (1874–84). He has been called "the father of American oölogy". He wrote North American Oölogy which was partially-published in 1857. - William Chapman HewitsonWilliam Chapman HewitsonWilliam Chapman Hewitson was a British naturalist, born on 9 January 1806 in Newcastle-upon-Tyne and died on 28 May 1878. A wealthy collector, this naturalist was particularly devoted to the Coleoptera and the Lepidoptera and, also, to bird's nests and eggs...
, Illustrations of Eggs of British Birds, (third edition, London, 1856). - Alfred NewtonAlfred NewtonAlfred Newton FRS was an English zoologist and ornithologist.Newton was Professor of Comparative Anatomy at Cambridge University from 1866 to 1907...
, Dictionary of Birds, (New York, 1893–96). - Oliver Davie, Nests and Eggs of North American Birds, (fifth edition, Columbus, 1898).