By Mark Scott
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wbfo/local-wbfo-594815.mp3
Buffalo, NY – Four healthy Peregrine Falcon chicks have hatched from a nest box on the 19th story ledge of the Statler Building downtown. Biologists say they're healthy and in good condition.
For nearly ten years now, biologists with the state Department of Environmental Conservation have been monitoring the nesting box that was built high atop the Statler Tower. An adult female falcon had successfully raised 23 chicks from the box for much of that time. But she died last October.
So, this spring, a new female found the nest, where she laid five eggs. Four of the five successfully hatched in early May. And sometime soon, DEC spokeswoman Megan Gollwitzer says they'll take flight.
After leaving the nest, the young falcons will remain in the area for about six weeks while thye develop their flying and hunting skills. They feed mainly on smaller birds, capturing their prey in flight.
Gollwitzer says their continued presence in our region provides further evidence of their resurgence here. Peregrine Falcons are an endangered species in New York.
The Buffalo Audubon Society maintains a real-time web camera on the Peregrine Falcon's Buffalo nest. Click on the "environment" button and then select "birds" from the drop down menu.