Oology (or oölogy) is a branch of ornithology studying bird eggs, 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.[1]
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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.[1] 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,[2] from the mid 20th Century onwards it was increasingly regarded as being a hobby rather than a scientific discipline.
Egg collecting was still popular in the early 20th century, 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 Bendire 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.[1]
As legislation, such as the Wild Birds Protection Act 1954 in the United Kingdom, 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.[3][4] 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.[5] The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds has been particularly active in fighting illegal egg collection.
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.
Numerous books, and at one point a journal, have been published on egg collecting and identification[1]: