Nuremberg (dpa / lby) - In the eyrie of the peregrine falcons in the Nuremberg Imperial Castle there is a first egg. Bird fans can use a webcam to observe the female incubating. However, she will leave the nesting site in the Sinwell Tower again and again, as biologist Stefan Böger from the responsible district government of Middle Franconia explained on Monday. Only when the clutch is complete will the female incubate continuously. As a result, all the chicks later hatched at about the same time.
The female laid the first egg on Sunday. "Around 5:43 p.m. it could be seen for the first time," says the project website. According to Böger, more eggs will follow at intervals of one to two days. In the past two years, the Nuremberg pair of peregrine falcons hatched four eggs. Usually, however, clutches of two to three eggs are common, said Böger. The chicks hatched after 30 to 34 days.
In 2013, the slate-grey and white-feathered birds moved into the 40-metre-high Sinwell Tower at the Kaiserburg. A webcam inside the nesting site and a second one at the exit grille in front of it allow 24-hour insights into falcon family life.
22 young peregrine falcons have flown out of the castle so far. Last year, however, one of the four young birds had a fatal accident when, according to the district government, it flew against the glass pane of the Museum of the Future. The museum has now provided the panes with bird protection films.
