Hen-o-pause

Dorothy preening, 25 Mar 2014 (photo from the National Aviary falconcam at Univ of Pittsburgh)

31 March 2014

Dorothy laid her first egg on March 20.  It appears to be her last and she is not incubating it.

In her prime Dorothy laid an egg every 2.5 days until she completed a clutch of four or five.  She always hatched all or all-but-one.

Last year her age began to show.  Her time between eggs was prolonged, three eggs did not hatch, and one of the hatchlings was too handicapped to live.

Back in 2010 I wrote about what happens when female peregrines age (click here).  Dorothy is now 15, two years older than the average adult life expectancy of 13.  So we’re learning something.

Yesterday Mary DeVaughn coined the term “hen-o-pause” on the Pittsburgh Falconuts Facebook page.  I don’t know if birds experience anything like menopause but it explains Dorothy’s solo egg and her lack of desire to incubate.

She’s certainly the right age for “hen-o-pause.”

(photo from the National Aviary falconcam at University of Pittsburgh)

16 thoughts on “Hen-o-pause

  1. I saw E2 incubating the egg around 7am this morning, and it looks like at 9am that Dorothy is now incubating..So here’s to hoping..

  2. Gail, yes, Dorothy has looked like she would lay another egg … but she hasn’t for five days. Humans in menopause have irregular fertility and then it stops altogether. Dorothy’s egg laying is quite irregular. It may have stopped altogether.

  3. Having been there myself, I can sympathize with Dorothy. Is there any point where they could retrieve the egg for study?

    1. Janet, at banding all the unhatched eggs are retrieved but there is little to no money for studies at this stage in the peregrine falcon’s recovery from extinction in eastern North America.

  4. Looks kinda sad…but all WE getting older too…

    I think, she was trying very hard…well…You can’t go against nature….

  5. So true, it’s very sad. As Gintaras said, we are all getting older one day at a time, and must move aside for the next generation. Sometimes reality bites, and for us, this is one of those times.

    Kate St. John, I’m grateful for this blog and the information about the falcons I’ve found here. Thank you.

  6. Personally, I hope a new generation will continue to use this great nest. Or what’s the fight against extinction all about? If Dorothy thinks “Hey, I’m getting too old for this”, she’s earned her retirement. Meanwhile, there’s the the Gulf Tower family. The Hays eagles, etc. When I lived in Pgh. In the 70’s, no birds like this were there.

  7. The webcam on the Pitt nest is so very sad. I guess we think another female will turn up at this nest next year? It would be too awful if Dorothy has to fight to the death for this nest like last year.

    1. A new female is likely to show up but we don’t know what Dorothy will do. Will she fight to the death? Or decide to leave? We just don’t know.

  8. I cannot believe that E2 won’t be able to entice another female to this successful nest.

    Will Dorothy stick around to fight for it? Only time will tell.

    1. Linda, the Game Commission will probably take the egg away. I don’t know when.

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