I found a portion of text on that, which I found at http://museum.gov.ns.ca/mnh/nature/nsbirds/bns0081.htm:
"...Concerning the eggs laid by this bird, Kortright (1942) states: "The female, though one of the smallest of the ducks, weighing about one pound, lays enormous eggs, the average size of which is 2.45 by 1.79 inches. The Mallard and Canvasback, ducks three times the size of the little Ruddy Duck, lay substantially smaller eggs. A clutch of 14 eggs of the Ruddy Duck weighs approximately three pounds, or about three times as much as the little mother herself."

Now, I have read that the mother spreads the laying out over a number of days. Still that is a bunch o' eggs!

Brett Wolfe gismybabe at yahoo.com Seattle, WA

Hugh Jennings wrote:One record I didn't see in Tyler Davis's list is:

The heaviest egg clutch weight relative to the bird's weight.
The Ruddy Duck's egg weight is about three times the weight of the female
RUDU.

Hugh Jennings
Bellevue, WA
hughbirder at bigzoo.net



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