Fledgewatch Scheduled for June 9th and 10th
We have scheduled the opening of the pen for Tuesday, June 9th
In conjunction with the pen opening, DWR staff will be stationed downtown on Tuesday and Wednesday as part of our annual FledgeWatch monitoring to observe the birds during their first days in flight. At this stage the chicks will have the strength needed to fly, but it can take them several days to perfect their flight and landing skills. By having staff on site during this critical period, we can intervene and get a chick medical attention more quickly in the event of a building collision, grounding, or failed landing attempt.
Young peregrine falcons typically fledge between 40 and 44 days of age, with males fledging earlier than females. The timing of the pen opening has been selected as a way to balance the needs of the older males, which are ready to fledge sooner and benefit from access to the outside environment, with those of the younger female, who may require additional time to reach the same level of flight readiness.
What to expect?
On Tuesday morning, the livestream will be temporarily turned off while the pen door is prepped for opening. Following this quick work, we will reconnect the stream and then allow the chicks time to settle before returning to the ledge to open the door. Although we cannot guarantee the exact time when this will happen, it will likely occur at some point between 9:30-10:00am. Once the pen door is open, the chicks will be free to leave the pen at their leisure.
We will be providing a labeled map highlighting activity hotspots from previous years and posting regular updates throughout the day to keep viewers more informed as to the on-the-ground action. On the day of Fledgewatch, check the main Falcon Cam page for that post which we will regularly update as the day progresses!