FalconCam chick dies, cause of death currently unknown

One of the four peregrine falcon chicks on the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources FalconCam has died.

At this time, 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS has not been able to confirm when the chick died, nor how, but has reached out to the DNR for comment.

According to the DNR’s livestream, the chick appeared motionless around 8:40 p.m. on Saturday evening, while its siblings continued to move around the nest.

On Sunday morning, around 6:05 a.m., during feeding time, three chicks stood up to grab food from one of their parents, except the fourth chick, who remained still.

Around 7:51 a.m., one of the adult falcons attempted to move the chick, but it received no response.

Falcons dispose of their dead in different ways. Firstly, one of the parents will remove the chick from the nest in order to prevent disease and health risks to the other chicks.

The other way involves the parents cannibalizing the deceased chick and feeding it to the remaining birds.

The Falcons chose the latter option around 10:45 a.m. Sunday.

This isn’t the only fatality to be captured on camera by the FalconCam. Last year, three chicks hatched, but unfortunately, one could not survive the competition for food with it’s siblings and perished.

Three chicks remain on the FalconCam, which you can watch live on the Minnesota DNR YouTube Page.