We’re going to need a bigger nest…
Virginia’s Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) announced a third egg was spotted over the weekend in the nest box of its resident peregrine falcon.
According to DWR, the female falcon’s third egg was first seen around 8 a.m. on Sunday. The second egg had been discovered less than two days earlier, on Friday evening.
Video: Watch the moment when the Virginia Falcon’s second egg was revealed
Experts with DWR said that peregrine falcons average three to four eggs per gestation — rarely five. Intervals between those eggs tend to be between 48-72 hours.
Previous observations of this falcon revealed she laid four eggs in each of her breeding seasons, so it’s possible another egg may emerge in the next day or two.
Keep an eye on the Richmond Falcon Cam, and you might catch that magic moment.
If you’re an avid Falcon Cam watcher, DWR said to “pay close attention when the birds swap places or leave the eggs temporarily unattended to see whether or not we have a fourth egg.”
In between laying, viewers may notice the eggs being left unattended and uncovered more frequently by the falcons. According to DWR, this is because female falcons prefer to wait until the second to last egg is laid to begin incubation. By delaying this incubation, it is more likely the “eggs will hatch closer together resulting in the chicks developing at roughly the same pace.”
To view more from the Virginia Falcon Cam, visit the DWR’s page.
