Photograph:Eggs of some of the common birds effectively illustrate the great variety of egg size, color, and markings. Egg collecting is now forbidden by federal laws that protect songbirds. They should never be taken from the nest. As a rule, eggs that are laid in holes or in hollow trees are white. Those that are laid in exposed places have the “protective coloration” of spots and streaks that blend into the background and make them almost invisible to the predators that might eat them.