Peregrine Falcons don’t actually build nests, preferring to make shallow scrapes or take over unused birds nests. Once they have found their territory they generally stay there, often keeping several scrapes in use. During a 15 year period a pair of birds may have up to 7 nesting sites in the same area.
Peregrine Falcons mate for life and have young once or twice a year depending on their location. Between 1 and 5 eggs are laid (more generally 3 - 4) but only one or two of the chicks live to be an adult. The eggs are generally beige in colour with darker brown markings on them. The female lays the eggs and only then are they fertilised by the male. If they are not fertilised fairly quickly after being laid then they are sterile and in this case sometimes the female will destroy and eat them.
The incubation period lasts approximately 30 days and the male helps with the incubation during the daytime only. The chicks stay with their parents for 2 or 3 months before leaving on their own. They become sexually mature at a year old but generally don’t mate before they are 2 or 3 years old.
