Peregrine Falcon Nest Cam: Watch Endangered Birds Hatch in Michigan

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Peregrine falcon chicks began hatching Monday in Kalamazoo, and you can watch the action via a live nest cam. Two eyasses – the name for the babies – have already hatched, and more are on the way.

Watch the action as it happens here.

Peregrines, once on the brink of extinction, have been returning to the Fifth Third Bank Building in downtown Kalamazoo for nesting since 2010, according to information from the Audubon Society of Kalamazoo and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, which maintain the nest cam.

Last year, the female, named Rebecca, fledged four eyasses. The cameras and a microphone were installed in January so bird watchers around the world can watch what’s happening with the birds.

The birds, known for their fast, powerful flight, nearly disappeared in the mid-1900s, but have come back after the use of the pesticide DDT, which interfered with the egg shell formation, was discontinued in the United States and worldwide in 1972. The shells were so thin that the incubating adult often crushed them.

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By 1965, no Peregrine falcons were fledged in the eastern or central United States, according to RaptorResouce.com. The population had been completely wiped out east of the Mississippi River by 1968.

The restoration effort was successful enough that Peregrines were removed from the federal endangered species list in 1970, but they remain endangered in Michigan. They’re also federally protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

Once on the brink of extinction, but now on the rebound after use of the chemical DDT was curtailed, these formidable hunters are known for their powerful and fast flying ability. Known as the world’s fastest bird, they’re able to attain speeds of up to 40 to 55 mph in flight, and make amazing dives, called stoops, that can begin from up to 3,000 feet above their prey and reach speeds of up to 200 mph.

About the size of a crow, these raptors have long, pointed wings with a wingspan of 36-44 inches. Adults have slate-grey backs and barred breasts, and both males and females are distinguished by a moustache.

The nesting box at the bank in Kalamazoo bank is located 13 stories up to simulate the cliffs where Peregrines nest in the wild. They don’t create the kind of nests other birds do but scratch a shallow depression, called a scrape, in gravel or sand.

The females three to four creamy to brownish eggs with red and brown spots, and incubate them for about 30 days, mostly by the female, but the male will step in when the female goes hunting for food. The eyases stay in the nest for 35-42 days before they fledge.

After leaving the nest, they still rely on their parents for another four to six weeks for food and to master flying, stooping and hunting skills they need to survive on their own.

On average, only two birds successfully fledge from each nest each year.

This video shows the first two chicks hatched Monday.