Peregrine falcons move into Spartan Stadium nesting box

Updated Tuesday March 29 at 4:30 p.m. EST

A recently-installed nesting box on top of Spartan Stadium appears to have attracted peregrine falcons.

Falcons have been spotted around Michigan State University’s football stadium for about five years, but no nest has ever been seen on campus.

That inspired the MSU Fisheries and Wildlife Club to build a nesting box, in hopes the birds would settle down.

With help from the university's Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Facilities, the box went up on the southwest corner of the stadium in January. Two falcons were spotted there last week.

Peregrine falcons were once considered endangered nationally. Though the species is not in critical condition anymore, they remain under an endangered status in Michigan.

Club President Molly Engelman says mating rituals have been observed, and the birds seem to be building a nest.

One egg was spotted Tuesday afternoon. She hopes they’ll soon lay more eggs.

Engelman adds safety isn’t a big concern, even on football Saturdays.

“The fact that they have the nest probably wouldn’t change much of their behavior come fall,” she explained.

"Because if they do produce offspring and have babies this spring, the babies will have grown up and fledged from the nest by that point.”

The Lansing Board of Water and Light has kept a nesting site for peregrines on top of the Eckert Power Plant since 2004, producing more than 50 eggs.

Four eggs have been laid so far this year by the pair of birds at the BWL nesting box.

Both sites are equipped with webcams, providing livestreams online.