Infertile Egg

[Moonstar]

Tracy,
Thanks for the answer. 

I am learning so much from everyones questions and all the answers you give and some of the answers from other viewers. 
This is so enjoyable and so addicting. 
Thanks.
Gail

[The Peregrine Chick]

It is a good question Moonstar.  The answer is yes and no (don't ya just love these).  If a mammalian predator could get to a peregrine nest - keep in mind that in the wild they nest on cliff faces - the eggs and/or chicks would be fair game.  But they would have to get past the parents.  As for avian predators, same thing, but they have to worry more about the parents than mammalian predators because they are operating in the same element - the air.  Other than as a food source, no reason to go after peregrine eggs.  And there are plenty of other less dangerous eggs to prey upon.

[Liz]

Good question, Moonstar!  I am looking forward to the answer, too.   

[Moonstar]

Do other birds ever try to take the eggs from a Peregrine nest?  I have heard that some birds will do this to other bird nests.

[The Peregrine Chick]

Despite our willingness to share information about the birds, the Project does so only after ensuring the security of any/all sites.  As for egg theft, no we haven't had any.  And such an act is in fact a provincial and federal criminal act.  Actually more than one.  It could also be in contravention of CITES (Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) resolutions.

Canada's Species at Risk Act penalties are:
 - for profit corporations = up to $1,000.000.
 - non-profits = up to $250,000
 - any other "person" = up to $250,000 and/or up to 5 years in jail

Manitoba's Endangered Species Act penalties are:
 - corporation = up to $100,000
 - any other "person" = up to $10,000 and/or up to 1 year in jail

[Eye-spy]

Hmmmm....

Almost sounds like you need some kind of Security Camera Controller Recorder thingy on the nest, just in case.  Any recorded instances of egg theft ?

[The Peregrine Chick]

Don't know for sure how they know, but I think it has something to do with the weight or rollability (yes, I know that isn't a real word) of the egg on their feet.  Think about how an hard-boiled egg spins vs a raw egg.  Not sure where I heard that but I'm definitely going to go back and find out now.

And not all birds know when one of their eggs are infertile.  And if the last egg is infertile, they are usually so busy with the chicks that did hatch that they don't get rid of the last one until later, if at all.  We haven't had too many infertile eggs and I've only ever pulled two out of one of our nestboxes (those would be last eggs).  Princess and Trey have removed an egg before.  Down in Lincoln, Nebraska this year, three eggs went missing and might well have been infertile eggs removed by the parents but know one knows for sure.  The last egg in their nestbox however was abandonned by the adults and was retrieved by the state biologists.

This was a great question, I'll let you know if my memory is faulty ...

[Mrs. Martin Grade 6]

How do falcons know if an egg is infertile? Will they always remove it from the nest?
Mrs. Martin's Grade 6 Class