Peregrine Falcon Webcam - Buffalo, NY
News from Buffalo's Peregrine Falcon Nest
May 2008
To view a live feed of the falcon's nest, visit the Buffalo Audubon's Society's website. (Click on the Buffalo Audubon Live Falcon Cam link in right hand column of this page under Offsite Links.)
Buffalo's falcon camera is a joint effort between the Buffalo Audubon Society, DEC, and the Buffalo Ornithological Society.
Four Chicks Hatch This Spring!
DEC is pleased to report that the Peregrine Falcon pair nesting atop the Statler Building in the City of Buffalo is busy raising four healthy chicks (three female, one male).
Five eggs were lad in the nest between March 28 and April 6, 2008; four successfully hatched between May 6 and May 9, 2008. On May 28, 2008 DEC biologists examined and placed leg bands on each of the chicks; reporting them all to be healthy and in good physical condition. 
DEC biologists report that the original male (thought to be about 18 years old) who fathered the chicks has disappeared after the eggs were hatched. A new male has been spotted feeding the checks and courtship feeding the female. This is extremely rare behavior, since falcons normally are exceedingly protective of their nest and will kill any other falcons in their nesting territory. Biologists report that the new male falcon is from Ohio.
The adult female falcon raising the chicks was new to the Buffalo area last year. She replaced the previous female who died from a parasite called Trichomoniasis gallinae.
Banding young Peregrine Falcons provides biologists with important information on the bird's movements, and is critical to understanding their year-round habitat needs. The banding process involves briefly removing the chicks from their nest when they are about three weeks old and gently placing two colored metal bands around one of their legs. These bands are uniquely lettered and numbered so that the birds can be identified and data can be collected on their movements, population, health and feeding habits. After banding, the birds are quickly returned to their nest and the care of their parent birds.
History of Peregrine Falcons in Buffalo
An eyrie (or aerie) is a nest on a cliff or mountain top or a brood of birds of prey. While there are no mountains in Buffalo, there is a pair of endangered Peregrine Falcons (birds of prey) nesting on a manmade "cliff" in the urban landscape. Their nest box, installed by DEC, sits on the edge of a 19th floor window of the Statler Building in Buffalo's Niagara Square, facing Franklin Street and the Buffalo Convention Center.
The Peregrine's nest is called "scrape," and is simply a shallow impression made in the gravel that lines the nest box. The falcons nesting on the Statler Building in Buffalo are using a nest box built by DEC biologists. Peregrine Falcons have nested in Buffalo since 1996.
More About Peregrines
A typical Peregrine egg clutch contains between one and five eggs, with one egg being laid every other day. Both the male and female parent birds incubate the eggs. The eggs hatch approximately 28 days after the last egg has been laid. During May and June, the adult Peregrines raise the chicks in the nest. The young will grow from their small, down-covered hatchling stage to the wing-strengthening, pre-flight exercising stage of fledglings. Once the young birds fledge, or leave the nest on their first flight, they will become less visible on the live-feed monitors and birdcam, but more visible to visitors of downtown Buffalo.
The Peregrine Falcon is listed as an endangered species under New York State Environmental Conservation Law. They were completely eliminated from the Eastern United States in the 1960s, mainly due to reduced breeding success from pesticide residues in their bird prey. Due to reintroduction efforts begun in New York State and copied throughout other eastern states, their population has grown steadily and there are now more than 50 pairs present statewide. Peregrine Falcons are known for their incredible flight speeds, and can reach up to 200 miles per hour in pursuit of prey. They feed mainly on smaller birds and capture their prey in flight. Peregrines typically build their nests on high ledges or cliffs that are 50 to 200 feet off the ground, but are also known to readily adopt artificial nest boxes placed on tall buildings or bridges in urban areas.
Live Webcam
The Buffalo Audubon Society hosts an online web cam featuring a view of the Peregrine's nest on the Statler building. The camera is mounted in the top rear of the nest box. Support for this project was provided by the Watchable Wildlife Program by DEC's Bureau of Wildlife.
Additional Peregrine Falcon Nest Sites in the Buffalo Niagara Area
DEC biologists report that an additional pair of Peregrine Falcons has been nesting the Niagara Gorge since 1998. Their nest is located on the Canadian side of the river again this year.
DEC biologists also found that the same pair of Peregrine Falcons that used the nest box on the north Grand Island Bridge has returned to use the next box again this year. The pair has successfully hatched four chicks - three male, one female. Thanks to assistance from the NYS Thruway Authority, DEC Biologists were able to successfully band the chicks on June 2.
