How do Birds Fertilize Eggs?

If you would like an answer to the age old question of which came first the chicken or the egg this may provide the answer. Chickens are birds after all aren’t they? As in most species there must be a fertilization process in order for life to begin and this is true as well with birds. There are some slight variations but this is how most of them do it.

• Birds as with most live animals reproduce via sexual reproduction practices. Almost all birds (with the exception of turkeys and chickens) do not have external sex organs. They mate when a male bird and a female bird press their reproductive organs against each other while a whole lot of flapping is going on. Some birds even mate while suspended in the air. While mating the male transfers his sperm to the female to fertilize her egg.


• Once the male has left his sperm, which also contains his genetic information, it will travel up the female’s oviduct to the egg, which is also called an ovum. This egg contains the female’s genetic info. When the sperm pierces the egg the genetic information of both parents will merge together. It is possible that this will not take place until up to 70 days after mating in some bird species.


• After the egg is fertilized it will travel down through the oviduct. As it makes this journey, special coatings and membranes are created and they will form a shell around the egg. Once this process is completed the egg will be laid by the female and incubated. Sometimes incubation is by the female and sometimes the male waits until it hatches. In different species this is a very interesting process and amazing to follow.