First peregrine falcon chick hatches in Pitt's Cathedral of Learning nest
It's Take Your Kid to Work Day, and the peregrine falcons nesting on Pitt's Cathedral of Learning apparently got the memo.
The National Aviary says Carla and Ecco's first chick hatched Thursday around noon. And it seems like a second wasn't far behind. A peek at the aviary's FalconCam showed two little birds around 1 p.m.
While Carla is hanging out in the nest with the newborns, the aviary says viewers can expect to see dad Ecco dropping in with some food.
There are a total of four eggs in the nest, laid between March 16 and March 25. The aviary says peregrine falcon clutches typically consist of four eggs, with an incubation period between 33 to 34 days.
Last season was Carla and Ecco's first together, and there was plenty of excitement. Two chicks hatched, fittingly, on Earth Day. They laid a total of four eggs, one failed to hatchthough the third chick died and one egg failed to hatch.
Last year, the chicks got lightweight bands with identifying numbers placed on their legs, which will help scientists study the behavior of peregrine falcons while also keeping an eye on the status of their population.
The Pennsylvania Game Commission says peregrine falcons used to be endangered in the commonwealth because of the use of the pesticide DDT, but they were removed from the state's threatened and endangered species list in 2021.
The aviary's FalconCam livestreams the nest, which is high up on the southeast side of Pitt's Cathedral of Learning. Viewers can watch Carla and Ecco's family grow this year on the aviary's website.
