Found an egg? Check out these quick tips to figure out what species laid it.

Photos: John Weinstein, (c) Field Museum of Natural History

So, you’ve found a bird egg. Maybe it was in a potted plant on the front porch, tucked into a bush's tangled branches at the park, or, sadly, mysteriously broken and by itself on the ground. Stumbling upon an active nest or an orphaned egg happens, along with the natural question that follows: What type of bird does that egg belong to? Well, we're here to help.

Identifying a bird egg is a lot like identifying a bird: You’ll want to pay attention to color, size, and markings to find a match. Those features can help you quickly identify eggs for a lot of bird species. A few context clues can help you further narrow down the field. (For example, what kind of nest did you find the egg in, and where is it placed?)

Here, we’ve gathered a handy guide to some of the common eggs you’re likely to spot around your home, in the neighborhood, or inside a nest box.…