Author: Web Site Administrator

I think we’re all wondering what will happen this season. Will the new unbanded female (nicknamed “UBF” by viewers in the live chat) lay her own clutch of eggs? Will any of Lizzie’s eggs hatch? And where is Lizzie?

To be candid, it seems unlikely that all of the eggs will hatch at this point. Viewers have observed the UBF occasionally using an egg as a “pillow,” and Mango has had difficulty keeping all five eggs properly covered during incubation. While he has been incubating frequently, consistent incubation is critical — and not all of the eggs appear to be receiving it. As a result, the chances of all five hatching are low.

As for whether the UBF will lay her own clutch — we’re not sure. Anything is possible, and we’ll be watching closely.

And where is Lizzie? Unfortunately, we don’t know — and we may never know, similar to what happened with Frida. However, because Lizzie is banded, there is still a chance that her fate could be determined if she is ever found or identified elsewhere.

Either way, this season is shaping up to be one of the most unusual we’ve witnessed at the Union County Falcon Cam.

This season has been unusual but not surprising, as this is a desirable nest site. Viewers have been watching closely as an unbanded female has been attempting to push out the banded female, Lizzie. This unbanded female was here last month and has not given up on nesting here. These territorial disputes usually end in death, as they are so competitive that they do not give up until one is usually injured to the point where they are unable to compete for the nest and territory. Now the unbanded female has been seen more on the nest, so she may have won the battle. Time will tell what plays out. Union County staff do know what is happening here and are on the lookout for any injured or down falcon around the building.

It is too early to know what might happen with the five eggs being incubated (mostly) by Mango. 

The unbanded female is pictured sitting outside the nest while Mango, the male falcon, incubates the eggs in the nest.

Lizzie, the banded female that laid the five eggs, was just sighted here the other day (4/7).

On April 2, at around 6:30am, Lizzie laid her fifth egg. She laid the third (3/28) and fourth (3/31) and still not incubating full time. Five eggs is not uncommon with peregrine falcons. Now they will be devoted to incubating 24/7. The female will do most of the incubation and get some breaks to stretch her wings and feed away from the nest. These incubation exchanges happen several times a day. They will roll and shift the eggs during incubation so they develop properly.

A fourth egg was laid on March 30.  Way to go Lizzie!

Stay tuned as we watch the pair take turns incubating these eggs.

According to Ben Wurst, Biologist of Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey, if all goes well, the eggs will hatch at the end of April.

Right on time, the second egg was laid sometime overnight. It was visible early this morning. Lizzie continues to wait before incubating eggs.

During this time food deliveries by Mango are crucial, as the eggs are formed by what Lizzie currently eats. Proteins help build egg white (albumen), lipids (fats) build yolk (energy reserves) and calcium forms the shell! If food is limited then eggs may be smaller or clutches may be reduced.

A new female appeared on the falcon cam around the same time Frida was last seen.  Since this falcon has a federal band 1947-31215 on her leg, the New Jersey State Biologist Kathy Clark was able to determine that “she hatched in 2016 (unknown where) and was captured at JFK Airport and transported/banded in New Paltz, NY, where she was released on August 18, 2016.” 

In honor of the city of Elizabeth, the female peregrine falcon is now named Elizabeth or “Lizzie.”  Lizzie and Mango have been seen demonstrating courtship behavior which signifies the beginning of breeding season.

An unbanded female has also been seen on the falcon cam courting with Mango. 

On March 23 around 6:00 PM, Lizzie laid her first egg.  Both she and Mango are taking turns with the egg.  Peregrine falcons will typically lay 3-4 eggs in a clutch, and incubation will begin after the last egg has been laid.  Delaying incubation is a natural adaptation that ensures all eggs hatch around the same time, giving all chicks a better chance of survival.

Stay tuned as this peregrine falcon story unfolds…

As of mid June 2025, we are sad to report that Frida, the female falcon, has not been seen on the Union County falcon cam, located on top of the Courthouse in the city of Elizabeth.  For approximately six years, we have watched Frida successfully raise 26 chicks in this rooftop nest with Mango, the male falcon.

According to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, the peregrine falcon is listed as a threatened species in the state of New Jersey.  Frida was observed to be a fierce protector of this important urban nesting site. 

It’s been a while since the last update. Since then all young have fledged. Thank you to Kathy Clark with NJDEP for the timeline of events that followed:

• 6/10 – 3 of the 4 had fledged, and BK/10 male had fledged around 6/5
• 6/12 – all 4 fledged, *probably including BN/62, the last-hatched
• 6/13 – last date any fledglings were seen on camera

There were few sightings of Frida and Mango after the young fledged.

A week later, a new *banded* female was observed by viewers. She has been observed courting with Mango. This is clearly the reason why we haven’t seen the fledglings or Frida. We have not received any reports of them being found nearby. As Kathy stated in an email, “this isn’t a good sequence of events for the fledglings.” At this point it is unclear where they have gone and if they are still alive. Since they were banded, they can be traced back to this eyrie. We can only hope that they are alive and well. As we stated in a previous post, this urban nest being productive is really crucial to maintaining the falcon population in New Jersey with coastal nests being abandoned.

About this new female. Since she is banded, we know more about her. She only has a federal band but with the camera, Kathy was able to read the band – 1947-31215. Kathy reported that “she hatched in 2016 (unknown where) and was captured at JFK Airport and transported/banded in New Paltz, NY, where she was released (8/18/16).” She has been courting with Mango since June 21.

It is only a matter of days until we see BK/10 fledge, followed by his siblings. This is a critical time for them and the most dangerous as they gain flight skills. We are thankful that Union County staff who work at the Courthouse keep an eye out for any fledglings that might end up on the ground below the building!