NESTING / EGGS / HATCHING
* Their range is about 30 miles with their nest in the center of their range.
They do not like other falcons within 3 miles of their nest site.
* Their favorite spot for a nest is on the edge of a cliff. Their nesting ledge is called an "aerie".
* They don't use a lot of nesting material.
Peregrines prepare a saucer shaped indentation in lose soil, sand, or grass called "scrape".
* The tiercel (male) arrives at the nesting site and begins a lot of fancy aerial displays to attract his mate in early Spring. Sometimes the male will select several locations for a nest and the female makes the final decision.
The female is the boss of the house, and the male is cautious around her.
* Peregrines are ready to start a family when they are about 2 years old.
* Falcons lay 3 - 5 eggs, 2 to 3 days apart.
The group of eggs are called a "clutch".
* Eggs range from soft pink to reddish brown and are slightly
larger than a chicken egg - about the size of a duck egg.
* The male and female share the responsibility of sitting on (incubating) the eggs.
The eggs need to stay at a constant warm temperature and dry, or the embryo
will not survive. If the air temperature is warm, the parents will leave the eggs briefly to hunt.
* The eggs also need to be turned, which we've observed occurs as the birds shift around on the nest. There are times that it looks like the
birds are actually rolling the eggs with their mouth or feet.
* The length of incubation is 33 days from the time "active" incubation starts.
* "Pipping" the shell is when the "eyases" (babies) begin to hatch out.
They do this from the inside with an "egg tooth" (a tiny sharp point) on the end of their beak. The egg tooth disappears almost immediately.
This process can take up to 2 days!
