Hatching Estimated for 4/24-4/26
The fourth and final egg for 2025 was laid on March 26th and as such the falcons have now moved on to the incubation phase of the nesting season.
Incubation means that Falcon Fans are just about guaranteed to see one of the adults on camera at all times as the eggs are generally not left unattended for extended periods of time during incubation exchanges. Both the male and the female take shifts incubating and thus have developed paired brood patches (featherless patches of skin on the bird’s breast which aid in incubation). By selectively losing these feathers, more direct contact area is created with the skin of the adult bird’s breast and thus the numerous warm blood vessels which are used to maintain the eggs temperature. Although the brood patches are obscured by an outer layer of feathers and therefore not visible to Cam watchers, you may observe the incubating bird shifting its position or shimmying atop the eggs. These movements allow the bird to better position the eggs to ensure maximum contact with their brood patches.
Peregrine falcon eggs are incubated for roughly 33-35 days which means we should expect to see our first signs of hatching around April 24th-April 26th.
The falcons during an incubation exchange. The male, 59/BM, comes in to temporarily relieve the female, 95/AK from sitting atop the eggs.