Lady PF says check out the latest on The Falcon Wire - complete with a video
4/27/2021 :: Four hatches for 2021!
Early this morning the fourth and final hatch occurred. Now there are four hungry eyasses on the 15th floor ledge of the Rachel Carson State Office Building! Hunting prey will become the primary responsibility of the new resident male, 85/AK, which will be brought to the eyrie (nest site) and often transferred to the female, 48/AE, since she will do the majority of the feeding. As the hatchlings get older, the adults will leave food at the eyrie and the young will tear it apart and eat it.
Prey species common in urban areas include many native and non-native songbirds such as flickers, blue jays, American robins, mourning doves, pigeons, and European starlings. If the nest is close to water, riparian birds also provide food for the young. The Harrisburg falcons have demonstrated this by preying on the American woodcock, a migratory gamebird that is normally found near water or wetlands.
Understand timing is critical in the survival of the hatchlings. Studies suggest that mortality is highest within five to seven days after hatching. After fledging, the first-year survival rates range from 40 percent to 50 percent. The first year in a falcon's life is critical. If young falcons are able to survive their first year, they will likely survive to reach the breeding age of two years.
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