Falcon Wire

Under ideal circumstances, falcon fledglings spend much of their first summer in the air with their parents and siblings, first learning the mastery of their wings, then honing their instincts to hunt and defend a territory. Much of this learning comes in the form of play.

Favorite games include mock combat where juvies chase each other at high speed, and when one "catches" the other, they grab a footful of their sibling's feathers and tug on them. Sometimes a sibling will pull too hard and actually yank a feather out. 

Or, as their instincts to pursue and engage territorial intruders takes hold, a fledgling might find himself facing a target that fights back, and end up with a missing or broken feather.

This can be a serious challenge for a young falcon, slowing and potentially weakening him, when he needs to be in peak form to master all he needs to know, and even more so as he embarks alone into the world after dispersal.

Our male fledgling appears to have recently encountered one of these scenarios. On July 5, a visiting falcon watcher, Virginia Hoffman, observed and photographed him in flight, showing a distinct gap in the middle of his left wing. 

The good news for him is that the missing feather is midwing, where it should have less effect on his ability to fly and continue learning at full speed than losing one of the primaries at the wingtip would. In fact, the loss of a feather doesn't seem to be slowing him down to any significant extent, as he continues to be observed in high energy play with one or both siblings.

Also good news, it seems that the whole feather has come out, which, as long as there is no follicle damage, should trigger regrowth of a new juvenile feather now, instead of having to wait for his first molt, next year.

It can take a month or more for the new feather to come fully in. So for the next few weeks, if you spot one of the juvies in the air above Harrisburg, you should know right away if it's him!

Harrisburg falcon observers have continued to report occasional sightings of one or more of the fledglings flying or perching near the RCSOB in the past few weeks, but juvie visits to the ledge have become quite rare.

So it was a pleasant surprise indeed to see two juvies on the ledge this afternoon. Band readings were not obtained, but it appears to be the male juvie and the white-footed female, who was clutching prey. The juvies stayed for about 2 hours before taking off together.

Until the last few nights all three fledglings have been returning to spend the night together on the short ledge beyond the round column at the top of the cam view. But they have been arriving later, after the light is gone, and it is no longer possible to tell if they are all present. Just the fact they are remaining active later in the evening indicates that their fledgling days are nearing an end.  They are almost ready for their next big adventure - dispersal.

As they become less dependent on their parents for food and protection, the adults have begun to spend more time on the ledge themselves. They will begin to discourage further visits to the ledge by the juvies, although they will allow them to stay in the area for another month or so.

Keep watching the Falcon Cam and catch all the action as this nesting season draws to a close.

Harrisburg Falcon Watch & Rescue held its 4th annual After-Watch Party last night. 25 W&R volunteers attended the indoor picnic before adjourning to the watch lawn, hoping to catch a view of the Rachel Carson falcons at play. A brief rain shower did not deter the watchers or the falcons. All 3 juvies showed up and did a little rough-housing together on the roof of the RCSOB, then a little airborne play, before they scattered, 41/AC to his favorite perch on PA Place, one of the girls to the roof of 333 Market St and the other to a perch on Hbg University.  There was more flying a little later, and all 3 juvies eventually flew back to the 15th floor ledge as darkness fell. 

With all three juvies enjoying the freedom of Harrisburg's skies, their lessons in hunting are well underway. We can look for the evening flight displays to continue for another week or 10 days, but the juvies will soon begin to venture away from the downtown, or even from Harrisburg altogether, for hours, then days, at a time. They will make sporadic return visits, perhaps to receive additional hunting/flying lessons or food supplementation. By mid-July those visits will be much less frequent and will cease altogether before the end of summer as the juvies permanently disperse from the area.

And what will their parents do in the meantime? For now, they remain very involved in their offspring's continuing lessons. As the juvies begin to explore their growing independence, the adults will reclaim the ledge as theirs, allowing their young to continue to occupy anywhere else in the area, but discouraging ledge visits. They will spend time renewing their bonds as partners and as the holders of this territory. In the next month, watch for the adults to increase their presence on the ledge, spending time in the nestbox together, engaging in the courtship behaviors of bowing and scraping, and possibly even copulating on the ledge. 

As the nesting season comes to a close for 2025, keep watching the cams to follow as 09/BS and 85/AK continue to patrol their territory and defend the ledge through the summer.

The 2025 edition of Falcon Watch & Rescue is in the books.

All three fledglings are now flying well and beginning to gain the flying and hunting skills they will need to survive in the wild. 

From June 2nd through June 15th, nearly 70 volunteers participated in Watch & Rescue, as they maintained a constant daylight hours watch to document this year's young falcons' early flights, to monitor their progress, and to offer assistance should one become grounded or otherwise endangered. 

Two of the three juvies ended up needing a rescue.  Thank you to DEP staff and Wildlife In Need volunteers for assistance with these rescues! Many thanks to Red Creek Wildlife Center and their amazing staff for the care both fledglings received there. We are so grateful for all you do to support Harrisburg's falcons. Thanks also to wildlife educator Patrick Miller for covering transport home for 41/CA, and to Heather Mulhollan for the other 3 trips transporting there and back!

Now that the three young falcons have passed through fledging, what happens next?

Well, they will stay in the area for the next few weeks, flying with each other and their parents, and learning all their parents can teach them, before they begin to venture farther afield. Soon they will start to spend more of their time exploring the surrounding areas, and by the end of the summer, they will take their leave of Harrisburg and head out to discover what awaits them in the world. With luck, in 2 or 3 years, they will establish a territory of their own and begin their own legacy as breeding falcons. But for now, interested observers should be able to continue to enjoy their high-flying antics near the RCSOB for several weeks to come!

The three falcon fledglings continue to make progress toward flight proficiency, each at their own pace.

The yellow-footed male, 41/CA, has mastered basic flight and is enjoying his newfound ability to soar above the rooftops. He is eager for his siblings to be ready to join him in aerial play, and attempts to provoke them into a game every time they take wing. Within a day or two, they should be ready to join him. In the meantime he is keeping busy beginning to learn the survival skill of catching prey on the wing. One of the adults will fly over and past him, calling for his attention, and carrying prey dangled from its beak or feet. He will race to catch up and attempt to snatch the prey from the adult. Yesterday he missed the grab on an attempted transfer, but the adult allowed him to take the prey upon landing - a successful prey transfer.

This morning, he engaged in prey chases with both parents. The first chase, with 85/AK did not net him a prize, but half an hour later, a chase with 09/BS netted him a morsel he carried to the nest ledge.

Soon, the adults will drop the dangled prey as the flying juvie approaches, for him to snatch from the air as it begins to fall. This is how the adults bring their offspring to understand the connection between the birds they see flying around and the food the parents have heretofore provided.

The male fledgling appears to already appreciate the importance of defending territory. Yesterday morning, a turkey vulture flew in to the fledging area and 41/CA dove at it and attempted to drive it off! Once the vulture left the area, 41/CA returned to his attempts to lure a sister into a game of chase.

When his sisters catch up to his skill at flying, they will spend the next several weeks flying and chasing each other all around the downtown area.

Keep checking this space for more updates as the three RCSOB fledglings attain mastery of the Harrisburg skies!

The white-footed fledgling, 43/CA was pronounced fit and ready to fly by the rehabbers at Red Creek Wildlife Center. She was accordingly transported back to the RCSOB and released to the 15th floor ledge, where she remained for the rest of the day. She may rest a day before flying again, or she may take off at first light in the morning - the falcons will always keep us guessing!

Meanwhile the male fledgling, 41/CA, completed a prey transfer from 85/AK this morning, and spent quite some time engaged in chasing his parents in flight around the RCSOB area, including "tagging" perching parents to invite them to play. He has progressed quite rapidly from novice to proficient! We can expect to watch him displaying his growing skills in the sky above the RCSOB for the next two weeks or so before he begins to explore further afield.

Keep watching here for more news of Harrisburg's peregrine falcons!

The three juvenile falcons have all fledged and are now learning the basics of flight. So far, 41/CA appears quite comfortable in the air and has the stamina for long flights of at least a minute, although he is still working to master his target selection and flight approach for landings.

42/CA has plenty of wing strength and is building her flight duration.  She does not yet have the ease and stamina of her brother, and like him still needs work on the landings, but she has managed to find alternate landing spots when her first choice doesn't work out. She should catch up to him very quickly.

43/CA, the third juvie to fledge, became caught up in an apparent intrusion yesterday by a strange falcon. During the incident between the adults and the intruder, 43/CA either flushed or was bumped from her perch on the University building and attempted to fly out of trouble. She came to a very low perch overlooking Market Street. After several hours, the decision was made to attempt a rescue. Her low perch put her in heightened danger of flying directly into traffic, so a licensed capture & transport specialist was called in to assist with a rescue.  Once she was safely rescued, she was then transported to Red Creek.

Initial exam showed no broken bones, but some swelling at the shoulder. She was kept overnight to rest the wing. A re-examination this morning showed continued swelling, so she will remain at Red Creek for additional treatment to reduce the swelling before she returns to the RCSOB, possibly later today or maybe tomorrow.

Next up for the fledglings is advanced flight training from one or both adults. Flight training is serious business, as the juvies' survival depends on their skill in the air. But it looks a lot like playing tag. If you're in the downtown area in the next week or so, keep your eyes turned upward and you may catch some of the flying fun. 

The RCSOB falcons had a very busy weekend!

Friday afternoon saw 41/CA return from Red Creek Wildlife Center and be successfully released on the roof of the RCSOB shortly before 2 PM. The young male briefly explored the roof before flying successfully to the roof of a nearby apartment building, where he remained through much of an afternoon thunderstorm. He flew several times Friday evening before landing on a mid-rise apartment building, where he remained for the night. 

These early flights are essential to help young falcons strengthen their wings and learn how to adjust their flight by minor adjustments to wing position.  By Saturday, 41/CA was flying with confidence and able to sustain flight for up to a minute at a time.

Our second fledge occurred at 6:05 Saturday morning, when 42/CA flew to the roof of the University. The larger females have more weight to carry, which tends to make their fledging flights a bit slower, but their larger wing size provides additional lift, which counteracts the slower speed. 42/CA stayed on the University roof for several hours before successfully returning to the nest ledge. 

43/CA fledged on Sunday, at 5:48 AM. She also flew to the University, landing on a ledge slightly below the roof. Her first flight was brief but strong. She spent the rest of the day walking the length of the ledge, exercising her wings, and eating the meal 09/BS provided. Her next flight will likely come sometime today.

Now that all three juveniles have fledged, the adults will very soon begin their advanced flight training and then hunting skills development will begin.

The male fledgling, banded 41/CA, spent 4 hours on a low ledge on the Carson Building after his second flight. He appeared to be uninjured but was not quite as active as we normally expect a fledgling to be. So when he dropped into a lower area where he could be safely captured, Watch & Rescue conducted a rescue and had him transported to Red Creek Wildlife Center to be checked over.

The initial report is that he is very healthy and his bumpy ride of a 2nd flight did no injury. They will keep him overnight for observation and we expect he will be returned for release tomorrow.  An amazing thing about these fledglings is how thoroughly every experience is mined for knowledge. By tomorrow, he will have absorbed all the data his first 2 flights provided and will very likely avoid all the rookie mistakes from today.

Meanwhile, his sisters continue to prepare for their own first flights. Their current activity suggests that the next fledge will likely be on Saturday.  It is to be hoped that this will be the only rescue of the season, but Watch & Rescue will be on the ground just in case.


As always, keep watching the PA Falcom Cams at  https://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/falcon/falcon-cam-popup_v2.html.

The juvenile male fledged from the 15th floor ledge at 8:25 this morning. He flew well, escorted by 85/AK, over the University roof and briefly dropped out of sight. Ten minutes later, he took off from the University and attempted to fly to the top of 333, made several unsuccessful landing attempts while flying strongly in between buildings, before coming to rest at 4th floor level on the RCSOB. He appeared to be in good condition and is now resting before taking his next flight.

Watch & Rescue is on the ground to monitor fledging activity and provide rescue if a fledgling becomes grounded. Volunteers are always welcomed! If you are interested in participating in Watch & Rescue, contact Sue Hannon, at hbgfalconwatch@gmail.com.

Now that the first fledge has happened, it may be a day or two before the larger females take wing. In the meantime, the young male will be gaining experience in the air.

Keep watching the PA Falcon Cams at https://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/falcon/falcon-cam-popup_v2.html for all the fledging excitement!

The three eyases are now 40 and 41 days old. In the last two days they have increased wing-flapping and can be seen hop-flying the length of the ledge. They give every indication of being ready to fledge. But so far, we're still waiting.

The parents have cut down on food deliveries and are making flyby passes in front of the ledge, attempting to lure one of the juvies off the ledge. It's good odds the first off the ledge will be the young male. He has been going around the round column at top of screen on the webcam to the short ledge on the far side.  The females appear to be possibly still a few days from fledging.

Watch & Rescue is on the ground to monitor fledging activity and provide rescue if a fledgling becomes grounded. Volunteers are always welcomed! If you are interested in participating in Watch & Rescue, contact Sue Hannon, at hbgfalconwatch@gmail.com.

Meanwhile, this morning both adults cooperated in a pigeon chase, driving several from the roof of the RCSOB, but they did not catch any. They continue to keep the area clear of potential threats to their young. They have been observed escorting a variety of birds from the area, including turkey vultures, Canada geese, and a red-tailed hawk.

When will we have our first fledge? Keep watching the PA Falcon Cams to find out!

The three RCSOB eyases have grown dramatically this week! Mostly still down-covered at last week's banding, they are now more brown than white as their feathers have come in. They are also as tall as or taller than 85/AK, the adult male resident.

The young falcons have taken over the whole ledge now, enjoying the shade of the orange post when it is sunny, and sheltering behind the scrape or against the window wall during rain. They are frequently exercising their wings to stimulate flight muscle development. They can be seen mock-attacking and playing with prey fragments littering the ledge. And are approaching the point when they will be comfortable standing or lying down at the edge of the ledge. They have also discovered the perching stick. This stick is attached to a thick beam and hangs several inches above the surface of the ledge, and extends several feet beyond the edge. The eyases have begun inching toward the edge of the ledge while perching on the stick. In a few days, one of them will inch out far enough that they will be perching over nothing but air.  Tomorrow will be five weeks since the first hatch. By next week this time, they could all be flying!

Falcon Watch & Rescue is getting ready for fledging. From June 2-18, they will be on the ground to monitor the fledglings' flghts from dawn to dusk. No experience is necessary. If you would like to volunteer to be a part of Falcon Watch & Rescue, please contact Sue Hannon at hbgfalconwatch@gmail.com for more information.

The three RCSOB eyases were banded with Federal and alpha-numeric leg bands yesterday morning.  Colored tape was affixed to two of the eyases' Federal band to assist Falcon Watch volunteers with identification from the ground during fledging. The tape should come off the band after a few months, but will not obscure the necessary information on the band if it sticks for longer than that.

Banding is a valuable research tool to help biologists understand important facets of falcon life while the birds remain in the wild population. Seven of Harrisburg's banded chicks have been identified on territory as adults in 5 states. Others have been reported when injured or deceased birds have been recovered away from the nest ledge.  Banding does not affect wild falcons' ability to live, breed, and hunt in the wild. In fact, 4 of our banded chicks were known to live and nest successfully for well over ten years!

Yesterday, the eyases were found to be all in good health and in fine voice. After the banding was completed, the chicks were returned to the ledge, where they were welcomed back by their parents, who both proceeded to provide a hearty meal for their restored offspring.

Banding results are as follows:
41/CA, no tape, 670 grams
42/CA, green tape, 880 grams
43/CA, red tape, 920 grams

All three chicks received the larger size bands, generally used for females. While thicker legs are typically consistent with the species' larger females, other physical characteristics such as significantly smaller feet and body size, as well as lower weight, strongly indicate that 41/CA is most likely a male. There is little doubt that 42/CA and 43/CA are females, although there are occasionally surprises when a banded falcon is reported as an adult. 

One of our Harrisburg hatched chicks, banded as a male in 2000, was later identified as a female on territory in New Jersey. 

Our current adult male, 85/AK, was assessed and banded as female when he was banded in Baltimore, MD, in 2017. When he first arrived in Harrisburg in the Autumn of 2020, we were not immediately certain if he was a small female challenging 48/AE, the then resident female, for the territory or a large male courting her. As events proved, 85/AK is a quite large male and he seems to produce males that share his genes for large size and thicker legs. 

If you missed watching the banding as it was livestreamed, you can still watch it here: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iDyM7v3r7ME

Next up for Harrisburg's newest falcons is fledging! Sometime in the first few days of June, the eyases will take their first flights. When that happens Falcon Watch & Rescue will be on the ground to monitor their flght. If you would like to volunteer to be a part of Falcon Watch & Rescue, please contact Sue Hannon at hbgfalconwatch@gmail.com for more information.

For all our avid FalconCam viewers, our cameras will be down during the live Falcon Banding on Thursday, May 22, 2025. Please tune in to the banding event on our Facebook or PAcast.

The three RCSOB  eyases are growing fast!  Their downy bodies are still fluffy white, but feathers are showing along wing edges and their tail feathers are coming in. They now have the dark "bandit mask" on their faces. They are also beginning to stand and walk on their feet rather than shuffling about balanced on their lower legs. It takes a few days to build the muscle strength to stay on feet all the time. Watch for the moments when they get up onto their feet.

The eyases are also beginning to attempt to self-feed. They are now big enough that they want more food faster than 09/BS can serve it! Hungry eyases want food now! And they are already trying to help themselves during feedings.

Late yesterday afternoon, the largest eyas escaped from the nestbox and took its first exploration on the ledge. It didn't go far, being almost immediately distracted by its reflection in the first window. It spent the next hour playing with its reflection before returning to the nestbox to sleep. Both adults kept watch from the corner of the ledge and the perching stick while the youngster took this first adventure.

The camera view is being returned to a more backed out view this morning, so we will be able to follow all of their ledge exploration as they continue their progress toward fledging.

Keep on watching the PA Falcon Cam to follow their adventures!

The three eyases are growing fast and making rapid developmental progress.  Falcons are altricial, meaning they are helpless at hatching and require constant care. However, this phase passes quickly.

At 12 & 13 days old, the eyases still require parental care, but not as intensely. They can self-regulate their body temperature now, and do not require constant brooding. Overnight, 09/BS stands over them with wings outspread to shelter them, but they spread out around her feet, no longer huddled in a heap for warmth.

They are beginning to show pin feathers. When they stretch their wings, they show flight feathers coming in. A fringe of developing tail feathers adorns their rumps.  They still have their downy white faces. In a few days, they should begin to show a dark mask as facial feathers start to come in.

Another significant step in eyas development. They have begun to stand up and toddle about on their legs. It will be a few days still before they get up on their feet.

At this stage, they are eating machines! Food is brought in regularly through the day, and the three eyases seem to compete for every mouthful. 09/BS makes sure they all get their share, leaving all three with bulging crops every time.

It is highly unlikely that the last egg will hatch at this point, leaving us with three healthy eyases for the class of 2025.  They are growing fast and gaining strength. They are beginning to move around a little, and calling for food every hour or so. But at 4 and 5 days old, they are still not able to self-regulate their body temperature and will require brooding for almost another week.

For now, the body of the deceased eyas remains in the scrape. 09/BS has been nibbling on it, and it is quite possible that she will ultimately consume it. Food is too hard won for falcons to waste a source of nutrition that would otherwise be lost. This is reality on the food chain, no sentiment allowed. It can be hard to watch for us humans, but it is part of life, and illustrates how falcons have been able to adapt and survive.

The scrape will return to normal within a day or two, and our three growing hatchlings will soon be up on their feet and exploring the whole scrape. Don't miss a minute as they grow!

It appears that the fourth hatchling has died, possibly after being accidentally stepped on by 09/BS as she got up to leave the scrape around 7:30 AM, as cam-watcher Elsa A reported. While smaller than the older three, #4 was successfully feeding yesterday and appeared healthy. Unfortunately, accidents do occur and it appears that is what has happened here.

Tapping from the 5th egg seemed to have stopped yesterday, but it has resumed this morning. If it is going to hatch, we should see a pip soon.

Meanwhile, the three eyases are growing fast. They have already almost doubled their size at hatching! Now that they have recovered from the fatigue of hatching they have discovered ravenous appetites. 09/BS and 85/AK will be very busy for the next few weeks keeping their growing youngsters fed!

Keep watching the Falcon Cam to follow as they grow!

The three hatchlings spent the day today sleeping, stretching, practicing holding up their heads for feeding, and actually getting a few tiny morsels into their gaping mouths. Already they are growing fast and the two hatched yesterday are catching up with their day older sibling.

The fourth egg showed a pip when 09/BS briefly exposed the eggs during a feeding just before 11 AM. The pip was larger every time it was visible throughout the day, and little #4 tumbled free at 7:42 PM, almost 27 hours after the 3rd hatch. Tapping continues to sound from the one remaining egg, but no pip was observed at the 7:30 PM feeding.

If the tapping continues, we may see a pip by morning! Keep watching the Falcon Cam to see if our 5th egg hatches tomorrow!!

It was a very busy 24 hours for the RCSOB falcons!

85/AK and 09/BS attempted a feeding for the first chick about half an hour after hatching on Friday, but it was still recovering from the strenuous hatching and wouldn't accept food. It was rested and ready for food by this morning!

A second pip was observed by mid-morning, and the second hatch of the year occurred at 12:37 PM Saturday. The third hatch followed in short order, with Chick #3 arriving just after 4 PM. 

The first three eggs were all laid before the onset of full-time incubation. There could be a small gap between these three and the last 2. The remaining 2 eggs both appear to be unpipped. Although the final egg was laid almost 2½ days after the 4th, it could hatch much closer than that. 

09/BS is keeping her 3 fluffy eyases well-tucked under her, so glimpses are fleeting. All three appear to be active, keeping her busy pulling them back to her warmth!

Three hatches down, two to go!

Keep watching the Falcon Cam for all the hatching excitement!

The first hatch of the year occurred at 5:51 PM, when a tiny pink wing pushed through a long crack in the shell. The top half of the shell fell away, and Chick #1 tumbled out of the bottom half, to the gravel floor of the scrape. 09/BS lifted half the shell out of the hatchling's way so it could stretch out. As the brand new falcon flopped a bit, trying to get its feet under itself, Mom nibbled on the empty shell. Egg production depletes vital minerals from the female's body, and eating the shell helps her replenish her calcium.

Within 5 minutes of hatching, the tiny eyas had got itself right side up and Mom tucked it safely under her breast with the remaining eggs. The young falcon and its soon-to-hatch siblings will need to be brooded for the first 10 days or so, until they can regulate their own body temperature.

Meanwhile, 85/AK has been making frequent checks on hatching progress, even bringing a fresh prey item at one point this afternoon.  Apart from a brief break this morning, 09/BS has been unwilling to leave the eggs. Tapping continues to sound, although new pips haven't been observed yet.  We could easily see 3 pipped eggs, or even another hatch by morning!

Keep watching the Falcon Cam to find out!

It has been 31 days since full-time incubation started. Yesterday, tapping and occasional cheeping could be heard coming from the eggs. While it could still be a day or two before the first hatch is complete, the eyases are ready, and at least one is already working at it from inside the shell.

In the egg, falcon babies develop all curled up, with the neck stretched and head tucked forward. When the chick is ready to hatch, a thick muscle along the neck and upper back, called the hatching muscle, suddenly contracts, pulling the head up sharply. A pointy protrusion on top of its beak, called the egg tooth, slams into the shell. By repeatedly striking the shell with the egg tooth, the eyas will eventually break through, creating a tiny hole called a pip. 

Once the shell is pipped, the eyas will continue to hammer at the shell from within, forming a ring of tiny holes and cracks around the shell until the shell breaks open and the chick can emerge.

The falcon parents continually shuffle the eggs around throughout this process to prevent the shell from getting stuck to the chick, and they vocalize with a sort of chuckling sound to encourage the eyas to break free. 

The chick emerges, damp and pink, with wispy white streaks of down, and the first thing it needs is rest. Hatching is strenuous work! The mother falcon will tuck the eyas under herself along with the remaining eggs, to keep it warm. The eyas takes the last of the egg's nutrient supply as it hatches, so it has some time to rest and gain some strength. Within several hours, after its down has dried, it will be ready for its first meal. 

Meanwhile, once the hatching muscle and egg tooth have fulfilled their purpose, they disappear within the first few days.

Turn on the Falcon Cam with the volume up and listen closely. Every few minutes you may hear a sharp, quick tap. Or you may hear some soft cheeping sounds coming from the eggs.

At least one of the eyases has begun the laborious process of breaking free of its shell!

It could be up to 24 hours before the first pip in the shell appears. Then, it may take up to another 24 hours for the chick to fully emerge. 

But with that first tap! tap! tap! we can be sure that the process has begun!

How long will it take for our first chick to arrive? Keep watching the PA Falcon Cam to find out.

We are three and a half weeks into incubation. 09/BS continues to handle most of the egg duty but allows 85/AK to take over for several hours a day while she takes food and stretches her wings a bit. 85/AK has been quite attentive, providing ample food for 09/BS as she keeps the eggs warm.  Falcons generally incubate their eggs for about a month before hatching. Historically at this site, incubation has taken between 34-35 days from onset to hatch.

09/BS began full-time incubation around March 23, although due to some very cold weather a day or two before that, she spent more time than usual hovering close to the eggs to keep them warm.  Who knows?  Perhaps hatching will begin on Earth Day, April 22!!   But if this year’s brood follows site history, we may not see chicks until about April 25 or 26. 

When do you think the eggs will hatch? Keep watching to find out!(opens in a new tab)

For the second year in a row, 09/BS and 85 AK have produced 5 eggs.  The fifth egg arrived overnight. Several cam watchers reported noticing the 5th egg shortly before 7 AM.

While there have been known, albeit rare, instances of larger falcon clutches at other locations, it is nearly certain that the RCSOB clutch is now complete. The falcons will spend the next month incubating the eggs, with hatching expected sometime between April 21-29.

The PA Falcon Cam provides a unique opportunity to observe the peregrine falcons nesting up close and in real time. Be sure to follow as this falcon pair care for their eggs!

The fourth egg of 2025 arrived at 1:10 pm on Saturday.  Incubation appears to have begun, although the eggs were left uncovered for several hours on Saturday afternoon. The clutch could be complete. If a 5th egg is in the works, we should see it arrive either Monday or Tuesd

Will there be a fifth egg? Keep watching the cam to find out!

The third egg arrived overnight, sometime between 2 and 8 AM. 

09/BS spent most of last night in the scrape, standing near the eggs, or assuming an incubation-like posture over, but not on, the eggs. She uses her body heat to keep the eggs warm enough to stay viable, but not warm enough to begin check development. When she is ready to begin incubation, she will snuggle the eggs close against her body to bring them to a temperature just over 99.2°F. 

During the nesting season, both the male and the female falcons develop a "brood patch", an area of bare skin on the breast. Increased hormones during nesting cause the feathers in this area to loosen and fall out, and blood vessels develop close to the skin, to enable more efficient heat transfer to the eggs. After nesting, the extra blood vessels retreat and the feathers grow back.

85/AK will share responsibility for the eggs. He will increase his hunting to provide food for 09/BS as she prepares for the next egg and will take occasional turns maintaining the eggs at the proper temperature, both now and during incubation.

Full-time incubation generally only begins after the next-to-last egg is laid, to assure that the eggs hatch at close to the same time. We have traditionally seen clutches of either 4 or 5 eggs. With 3 eggs in the scrape, 09/BS could begin full-time incubation any time now, depending if she has one or 2 eggs yet to produce.

Keep watching the PA Falcon Cam to see what happens next!

Right on schedule, at 4:22 PM today, 09/BS delivered 2025's second egg.

The interval between eggs is normally 2 to 3 days. Egg number 2 arrived approximately 57 hours after the first, well within the normal range. If 09/BS follows her established pattern we can expect a 3rd egg late Wednesday or early Thursday.

Making eggs takes a lot of energy. 09/BS may seem lethargic for several hours after laying each egg, and again before the next.

Keep watching the PA Falcon Cam as the 2025 nesting season progresses!

The first egg has arrived!

Sometime between 7:10 and 7:50 AM today, 09/BS laid the first egg of the 2025 season. If 09/BS sticks to last year's schedule, she will lay eggs every 2-3 days until the clutch is complete. Here in Harrisburg, we have traditionally seen clutches of 4 or 5 eggs. 

Falcon eggs are small, about 2" in length, rounded at one end and slightly pointed at the other. The egg is a blotchy reddish color, which may lighten as the egg nears hatching.

The egg does not need to be incubated at this point. Peregrine falcons practice delayed incubation to assure that eggs laid up to 10 days apart will all hatch at close to the same time. The eggs can become cool (able to sustain temps as low as 40°F) and remain viable, but will not begin developing until incubation raises the internal temperature to about 99°F.  09/BS will begin full-time incubation, probably shortly before her fourth egg.

Recent observations indicate that the 2025 nesting season is about to begin!   09/BS (Female) and 85/AK (Male) have been intensifying their courtship and mating activity. Both falcons have been observed scraping at the “nest” pebbles with their feet and bodies to form a deep “bowl” type of depression in gravel.

The bowl creates a sheltered area for the female to deposit her eggs.  When the bowl is well-formed, it will be deep enough to protect the eggs from the wind and conform to the size and shape of the female’s lower body during incubation.

The number of bowls the Falcons create can vary from year to year.  For instance, during some of the previous seasons, pairs have created several nesting bowls before deciding on the one that is “just right.” During other seasons, the Falcons have created just a single bowl. We will likely observe the pair scraping and shifting the nest gravel even after the eggs arrive.

09/BS appears to be spending more time in the scrape and at the ledge. Yesterday morning 85/AK brought her a food gift. 09/BS’s abdomen appears distended, indicating the first egg may be laid at any time.  It could come within the next few days to a week! Last year, the first egg was laid on March 16. Will this year's first be even earlier?

Stay tuned and share your observations!