For the first time in the history of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources’ FalconCam, the feathered pair has laid a fifth egg.
To call the fifth egg an uncommon occurrence is an understatement of how rare such an event is.
In the Midwest, peregrine falcons usually produce three to four eggs in a clutch, with only 7% will laying more than average. Since the DNR installed the FalconCam nest box in 1987, it has never captured a pair laying five eggs in its nearly 40-year history until now.
While the five-egg clutch is exciting, the DNR says viewers should be cautious about expecting to see five chicks this summer, as they warn some of the eggs may not hatch.
Even if all five eggs were to hatch, the DNR says feedings can be challenging, and some chicks may not reach the fledging stage.
Whether all five will hatch and fledge won’t be known until later this year; the DNR expects the eggs to begin hatching next month, between May 29 and May 31.
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