Getting Laid All Over

Peregrine falcons are laying their eggs this week and anyone with an internet connection can watch it happen. In the past few days, webcams in Virginia, Wisconsin, Indiana, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and elsewhere have recorded the annual good tidings. We can expect to see chicks emerging in about a month.

In New York the majestic raptor has nests on buildings or bridges in Albany, Syracuse, Rochester, Binghamton, Buffalo, and of course New York City, which “may now have the largest urban population of peregrine falcons anywhere,” according to the Department of Environmental Conservation.

This week falcon nests got a little more crowded at the Mario Cuomo (né Tappan Zee) Bridge and in the city at 55 Water Street, where generations of peregrines have been brooding on the 14th floor for over 20 years. Voyeurs can peep the live cam at 55water.com/falcon-cam.

The peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) is the fastest animal on Earth. Well, above Earth, really because that’s when the dive-bombing hunter hits speeds of over 200 mph. Currently endangered in New York, the bird was nearly wiped out in the 1960s, largely from consuming medium-sized birds such as pigeons tainted with pesticides.

The population is bouncing back nicely. The worst pesticides have been banned or severely limited and conservationists have maintained the birds’ simple but particular nesting needs.

“Falcons do not build stick nests like most hawks and the eggs can roll off bridge girders or get broken on window ledges,” according to the DEC. “Wooden nest boxes filled with gravel are placed at many of the sites to increase productivity. These boxes need periodic replacement.”

So many great peregrine falcon videos to choose from on YouTube. We like David Attenborough explaining peregrine aerodynamics here: youtube.com/watch?v=ovocT91G1ww.

Photo credit: UC Berkeley