If you touch bird eggs the mama bird will leave them?

[jtgain]

I was cleaning out the gutters tonight and came across a bird's nest. There were five little eggs in there and I showed them to my daughter. I neatly placed them back in the nest and then I cleaned everything out, but left the nest so the little guys could hatch when it is time.

I told the neighbor, but he repeated the often heard meme that once you touch a bird's nest, the mother bird can tell and she will abandon the nest and leave her unborn children to the vultures.

I call bullshit on that. Hell, my scent can't last that long on the eggs. Has there been any research done on this or is this just one of these urban legends?