Mar 16 2008
Why isn’t she sitting on the eggs?
The photo in my last blog of the peregrine eggs with no mother sitting on them prompted several of you to ask this question.
Peregrines in temperate climates don’t begin incubating the eggs until the last or next-to-last egg is laid, though they do protect the eggs from cold and rain. I’m not sure why peregrines wait to incubate but the result is that all the eggs hatch within a day or two. This makes the chicks approximately the same age and size as they grow up together. From what I have observed, peregrine nestlings are never aggressive against their siblings.
Bald eagles, on the other hand, begin incubation immediately and the chicks hatch days apart. The first chick is older and larger than the second, and so on. The parents focus on feeding the largest chick who then becomes better able to compete for food. The smallest chick often starves. Sometimes the largest chick kills his siblings.
Frankly, I’d rather be a peregrine.
March 17, 2008: Over the weekend Tasha laid her 3rd egg so she will be incubating pretty much full time now. See her progress on the National Aviary’s webcam
March 19, 2008: We have confirmation today that Tasha has laid 4 eggs. It’s likely her clutch is complete now.
We just saw a 3rd egg from Tasha 2 at 6:57pm. There were only 2 at 3pm. Way to go Tasha!