Nesting Heartbreak: Falcon Eggs On Cuomo Bridge Won't Hatch

TARRYTOWN, NY — Since the end of March, the pair of adult peregrine falcons in the nesting box high above the Hudson River on the Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge have been taking care of four eggs.

Since the normal incubation time for falcon eggs is 33 to 35 days, it seems the eggs are not viable.

A spokesperson for the New York State Thruway Authority told Patch that it doesn’t appear the eggs will hatch this season.

The authority is in communication with the state Department of Environmental Conservation about the next steps, which could include collecting the eggs.

On March 28, four eggs were visible via the falcon cam in the nest near the top of one of the 419-foot bridge towers.

Falcons can usually lay from three to five eggs in the early spring. The chick, which are called eyases, hatch about a month later if all goes well.

According to the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, failure of peregrine falcon eggs to hatch can be due to several reasons.

Experts said the birds’ reproductive ability decreases as they age, as well as egg infertility, the death of the embryos and breakage of eggs.

If the eggs are removed by professionals, they can be analyzed for potential contaminants.