CINCINNATI — Since 2016, a pair of peregrine falcons have made their nest on an 11th story window ledge at the Mercantile Library in downtown Cincinnati, and now everyone can peek in on the pair and their three new chicks.
The Mercantile Library set up a live stream of the falcons so anyone can admire the ledge-dwelling raptors. A year ago, Cincinnati non-profit Raptor Inc. asked to install a nest box where the falcons were preferring to roost, according to a press release from the library.
Then, the first week of May, three babies — called eyases — hatched in the nest.
"We were thrilled when they laid eggs in our box and we had to share this extraordinary situation with our members and the world," said John Faherty, Mercantile Library executive director, in a press release. "We waited until the eggs hatched and started the falcon cam."
Four total eggs were laid in the nest, though only three wound up hatching, the library said. When the babies grow up, Raptor Inc. will place identification bands on them for future research; the male peregrine is already sporting one himself, though the female hasn't gotten hers yet.
The fuzzy falcon babies will stay put in their box, munching on treats brought by mom and dad until they're around 39 to 49 days old. That's when they'll start taking their first flights.
Peregrine falcons are the fastest birds in the world, clocking up to 240 mph in a dive; they were once close to extinction and though their numbers have bounced back, they are still protected under the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
You can check out the Mercantile Library's live stream on Youtube or on their website.
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