Birds' Eggs
Science: Year 5 & 6 National Curriculum, topic 1.8.1
Birds' Eggs
The first life stage of birds are the eggs.
Development
- Following internal fertilisation, the mother lays eggs.
- The mother usually lays an egg in a nest.
- The bird embryos develop inside the egg before hatching.
Egg structure
- The eggs have a hard protective shell.
- The eggs need to be kept warm for the embryos to develop fully.
- The parent birds take turns sitting on the eggs to keep them warm.
- The parent birds keeping the egg warm is called 'incubation'.
Test yourself on Birds' Eggs
Where do bird embryos develop?
What are the characteristics of bird's eggs?