Saturday, March 23, at approximately 9:25 AM, the Utica Peregrine Falcons produced their first egg for the 2024 breeding season. The egg was laid in a nest box located on a 15th story ledge on the Adirondack Bank in Downtown Utica. This is the location the same pair of falcons (Astrid & Ares) successfully raised young 10 times since 2014.
A web camera placed inside the box has provided video and still images of the egg. We expect at least three more eggs to be laid in the coming week. The incubation period for Peregrine Falcons is about 33 days and so hatching of the eggs should begin in early May.
The March 23 egg-laying date is tied for the earliest for this pair. The last time Astrid laid an egg on March 23 was back in 2019. The average date for her first egg is April 1st.
Astrid and Ares first claimed Downtown Utica as their territory in the fall of 2012. They are both thought to be approximately 14-years old. The pair has produced 29 hatchings during their tenure.
Peregrine Falcons, which are famous for being the fastest birds in the world, remain on the Endangered Species List in New York State. There are now over 100 pairs known to nest in the State. About half of their nest sites are in the wild and half are in urban areas and on large bridges. Urban falcons feed mostly on non-native Rock Pigeons and European Starlings, but they also prey on a wide variety of other birds.
Monitoring of falcon nests is done for both conservation and educational purposes. Live streaming video from the Utica nest is available at the UPFP’s website: UticaPeregrineFalcons.com
Regular updates and videos can also be found on the Utica Falcon Watch Facebook page.
Links to videos from March 23rd :
