Highlights
- A barn owl pair at Whitewater Draw Wildlife Area in Cochise County laid three new eggs beginning Aug. 6.
- A second clutch occurs in roughly 10% of barn owl nests, according to Arizona Game and Fish.
- The same pair hatched five owlets earlier this year, all of which survived to fledge.
- Arizona Game and Fish wildlife viewing program manager Jeff Meyers cited monsoon rains as a factor in hopes for the second clutch's success.
A pair of barn owls at the Whitewater Draw Wildlife Area in Cochise County has laid a second batch of three eggs, surprising biologists at the Arizona Game and Fish Department who say the behavior occurs in roughly one in ten barn owl nests.
The first new egg appeared Aug. 6, with two more following last week, according to AZFamily, which cited the department. Game and Fish said this marks the first time a second set of eggs has been observed on its live nest box camera.
Earlier this year, the same pair hatched five eggs. All five owlets survived to grow feathers and fly from the nest, with the process streamed on the department's live barn owl cam.
Jeff Meyers, the department's wildlife viewing program manager, pointed to monsoon conditions as a key variable. "With the coming monsoon rains, we are hoping for heat relief and a rodent population boom to help this second clutch turn into more successful owlets," Meyers said, according to AZFamily.
Biologists said the second clutch indicates the birds are thriving in a healthy habitat.
Why is a second clutch significant?
Game and Fish says a second set of eggs occurs in only about 10% of barn owl nests, making the Whitewater Draw pair's repeat nesting notable. The department said this was the first time such an event had been captured on its live nest box camera.
The department's live nest camera remains active as the three eggs develop.
Sources
Every factual claim in this article traces to one of the sources below. See how we work for the editorial process.
- AZ Family (3TV/CBS5) retrieved 12/08/2026 22:45
Authored by The Scottsdale Signal. Drafted by AI from primary-source material under our beat-specific editorial guides; reviewed by humans before publish under our five-gate process. Sources retrieved at 12/08/2026 22:45. Every claim traces to a source.
