Two of four peregrine falcon eggs have hatched atop the University of Pittsburgh’s Cathedral of Learning in Oakland.
The first hatched around 11:30 a.m. Monday, Earth Day, and the second at 3:38 p.m. that day, according to the National Aviary. These are the first chicks for Carla and Ecco, a new pairing.
Mother and hatchlings appeared healthy as viewed on a livestreaming camera maintained by the aviary. The new camera and upgraded microphone were installed by the University of Pittsburgh.
The two remaining eggs are expected to hatch soon. Both parents have shared incubation duties for the past three weeks.
The first pip, or sign of pecking from inside the egg, was noticed Saturday, according to Kate St. John, purveyor of the Outside My Window blog, which focuses on the Oakland peregrines. Hatching had probably begun days earlier, she told her viewers Sunday.
The hatching of peregrine eggs generally takes about 72 hours, but Carla’s eggs opened faster.
Bob Mulvihill, National Aviary ornithologist, suggested the webcam presents an educational and entertaining view of the natural world.
“For the next few weeks, viewers of the National Aviary’s nest cam are able to look up close at the world of wild peregrine falcons raising their first chicks,” he said in a statement.
“The nest cam offers a remarkable opportunity to view each step of their nesting cycle and to observe the behaviors of a peregrine falcon pair and their growing young.”
Viewers have an opportunity to watch the parents bringing food to the nest and feeding their chicks. Observers will likely see their growth and development and be able to follow their activities.
The Natural Aviary webcam attracted 114,000 page views in 2020.
Peregrines were listed as an endangered species, then a threatened species in Pennsylvania until 2021.
The Cathedral of Learning has been home to nesting peregrine falcons since 2002, according to Ms. St. John.
The first peregrines were spotted in Downtown in 1989-1990 by biologists with the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy. After erecting nest boxes on the Gulf Tower, the pair successfully bred in 1991.
John Hayes: jhayes@post-gazette.com
First Published: April 24, 2024, 1:17 p.m.
Updated: April 25, 2024, 1:15 p.m.
