Peregrine male hanging out near the nest

March 26, 2014 in Near the Clock Tower

The amount of incubating the male does depends on the couple’s preference.  Some males share more incubation duties than others.  In the middle of the incubation period, the male is on the eggs 30-50% of the daytime hours.  Towards the end of incubation when the eggs are about to hatch, the female spends most of the time on the nest.  She wants to be there to assist the chicks as they break out of their shells.

So which parent is on the eggs right now?  If it’s the middle of the night, it’s the female.  Otherwise, you’ll have to watch closely at “shift change” to see which bird is larger!