Live Cam: Utica Falcons Just Laid Their First Eggs

There’s some exciting news coming out of downtown Utica. Our resident peregrine falcons just made history!

An egg (2 in fact) has officially been laid in the nest box… and it's earlier than ever before.

According to the folks at the Utica Falcon Project, the egg showed up in the early morning hours of March 22, making it the earliest recorded egg in Utica, or anywhere in Oneida County.

And if you’ve been following along, you know this wasn’t a guaranteed outcome.

A New Chapter After Loss

Over the winter, longtime fan-favorite falcon Astrid was lost, leaving her mate Ares alone. There was real uncertainty about what would happen next.

Read More: Utica Lands Major Spot on New York’s Empire State Trail

Would Ares find a new mate? Would there even be a nesting season this year?

Turns out… Ares wasted no time. He paired up with Vera, a younger falcon who wasn’t quite ready to lay eggs last year. Peregrine females typically don’t start reproducing until they’re about two years old, so this season was the big moment everyone had been waiting for. And she understood the assignment.

Record-Breaking Egg

Not only did Vera lay her first egg… she broke a local record doing it.

The previous “earliest egg” belonged to Astrid, who laid on March 23 in both 2020 and 2024. Vera beat that by a single day!

What Happens Next?

Now comes the waiting game.

• Peregrine falcons typically lay multiple eggs (a clutch)
• Full incubation doesn’t start until there are at least two or three eggs
• The incubation period lasts about 32–35 days

So if all goes well, we could be looking at chicks (called eyases) sometime in late April.

You Can Watch It Happen Live

Yes, this is your new low-key obsession. The nest is streaming live, so you can check in anytime and watch in real time. View the live cam at: https://www.big-green.net/falcon/ or follow updates on Facebook from Falcon Watch Utica.

They’ve been sharing updates, clips, and behind-the-scenes moments.

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Honestly, between the comeback story, the new couple, and now a record-breaking egg… this is better than half the reality shows out there. And for once, it’s happening right here in Utica.