Richmond Falcon Cam

Views of the nest yesterday seemed to show that one of the eggs had been removed by the adults.  Two chicks could clearly be seen during feedings and one egg was visible.  There was no sign of either a third chick or egg.  It is not unusual for an egg that fails to finish hatching or a chick that isn’t viable to be removed by the adults. There are many potential causes for a failure to hatch and no way to tell what might have caused this egg to fail.

By this morning the third chick had hatched and all three were being fed.  It was also apparent that the other eggs had been removed.  Viewing has become challenging as spiderwebs over the camera dome create a glare which prevents us from seeing any activity during portions of the late morning and early afternoon.

* Thanks to Mary Anne from the BCAW forum for the image above

Below are a series of videos from the first egg hatching yesterday evening.

The first egg has hatched in the peregrine falcon nest in Richmond this afternoon. We’ve been observing closely over the past two days to look for signs of a pip - the initial opening the chick makes in the egg as it begins to hatch.  The female has been diligently keeping the eggs covered and weren’t able to get a good clear view of the eggs.

Checking in on the nest this afternoon we found the first chick almost fully hatched out.

Almost immediately the female began to eat the remaining yolk and eventually the membranes and eggshell itself.  This allows to her to recapture valuable calories, proteins and calcium.

Peregrine falcon eggs typically hatch synchronously with a clutch of 4 eggs generally hatching over a 24-48 hour period.  We’ll keep close watch over the coming days. This chick seems active is moving well.

Temperatures in Richmond took a dip in early April, with night-time temperatures getting into the 40’s and 30’s. This means that the adults must keep the eggs warm by incubating. Many bird species, including peregrine falcons, have a special adaptation that helps them keep their eggs warm. The birds develop featherless areas on their breast called brood patches. These areas develop thickened skin and an increased blood flow that helps the birds pass body heat along to the developing embryos inside the eggs.  In this video clip from March 10th we can see the female falcon plucking feathers from the area of her brood patch in preparation for egg-laying.  Male peregrine falcons also develop brood patches and help with incubation, but as the female will do the majority of this work her brood patch is much more developed.

We will continue to keep a close eye on the nest over the coming week as the eggs should be due to hatch.  Peregrine falcon eggs are typically incubated for 33-35 days beginning with the second to last (penultimate) egg of a clutch.  We aren’t sure when the penultimate egg was laid but believe it to be on or around March 15th.