Book 31, Question 72
Why do some birds lay one egg and others a dozen?
The number of eggs is called a clutch.
Albatrosses and penguins lay just one or two, because they spend months feeding each chick. Ducks and quail may lay ten or more, because their chicks leave the nest quickly and many are needed. Birds adjust clutch size to match how much food they can find and how many chicks they can raise.