First peregrine falcon chick on DNR FalconCam hatches
ST. PAUL, Minn. — The first of four peregrine falcon eggs featured on the DNR FalconCam in St. Paul hatched early Tuesday morning.
The chick made its first on-camera appearance at 6:22 a.m., and the others are expected to hatch within the next few days, as a four-egg peregrine falcon clutch typically hatches over a 24-48 hour period.
The chicks, called eyasses, are relatively helpless when they first hatch, according to the DNR. Most of the brooding duties fall on the adult female falcon, while the male sometimes assists.
The female falcon is 11 years old, and has been using the same nest box since 2016. She originated from St. Cloud. The 15-year-old male is a new partner for the female, and was originally branded as a chick in Indiana.
In the coming weeks, viewers of the DNR FalconCam can expect to see the chicks grow a second coat of white down and become more active. Initially, the chicks will spend most of their time resting and sleeping.
Last year at this same location on top of a St. Paul high rise, the female falcon laid four eggs, two of which hatched.
The FalconCam was the first live webcam the DNR launched 13 years ago. It was part of an effort to help peregrine falcon restoration after the population faced extinction in the 1970s. Minnesotans donated on income tax forms, and various organizations such as the Midwest Peregrine Society and the DNR Nongame Wildlife Program helped build back up the population.