The Empty Eggshell

A robin's broken and empty blue eggshell, with the words "Nothing to see here folks."Just an empty eggshell. There’s nothing to see, because “the miracle” has already vacated the chamber it once grew in.

Of course, the baby bird that hatched from this egg came into the world weak, blind and naked.  As ugly as a scrawny chicken and five times as helpless. Hatched baby robins demand an enormous investment of energy by the parents. Constant feedings, keeping the chicks warm, fighting off dangerous predators, etc.

But then, a second miracle happens.

About two weeks after hatching, the baby robin grows up, develops feathers and leaves the nest forever. A young robin’s first flight is haphazard, a flapping tumble down into the grass. The fledglings stay grounded for a few more days while they try to “get the hang of this flying thing.” Both parents keep feeding their young until they become good fliers, 10 to 14 days later.

Humans tend to overlook God’s “everyday miracles.” The swift transformation of the baby robin is one—can you think of any others?

This image came from Pixabay.com.

Resources:

Unlike robins, baby ducks hatch out of their eggs more fully developed and self-sufficient. The first video shows ducklings leaving their nest forever, just a day or two after hatching. The second video shows a baby robin breaking out of its egg. In contrast to the day-old ducklings, this newborn robin looks like a half-developed embryo.

A short BBC documentary of ducklings beginning life. Click here.

A baby robin hatching.  Click here.

A short article explaining the two different types of bird development, Click here.
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