8 February 2025

In early February, southwestern Pennsylvania’s resident peregrines are courting and making sure their territories are secure. Meanwhile, adults without a nest site — called “floaters” — are searching for a completely new site, or exploring the existing territories to find a weak resident who cannot keep them out. Sometimes there’s a changeover of who owns what. It’s an exciting time to watch peregrines that lasts through March.

This week the same resident peregrines courted on camera at the Cathedral of Learning while it appears there’s been a changeover at the Tarentum Bridge.

Cathedral of Learning, Univ of Pittsburgh: At Pitt, Ecco is often seen on the falconcam, preening on the green perch while he waits for Carla to show up. Yesterday she was off camera when Ecco began to “echup” and bow. Then she jumped in.

Tarentum Bridge, Allegheny River:

The resident pair at the Tarentum Bridge, a female with a dotted chest and a banded male (black/green 48/BR, hatched in 2014), have been quite successful since they first became a couple in 2018. Over the years they’ve fledged 20 young and have often been the first to nest. Last year she laid eggs in late February.

This year Dave Brooke discovered they aren’t the same couple. In photographs the female looks the same…

… but the male is unbanded so he has to be new. This is not surprising since 48/BR would be eleven years old, an age when younger males step in.

This new couple is not on the early nesting schedule like the old pair. The female wants to mate now but he’s not in the mood. Yesterday she was calling to him from the nestbox.

But he ignored her.

The Tarentum Bridge female with spotted throat was sitting on the nest box and male was on the opposite end of the pier. She was wailing for some time before flying out and around the closer pier before disappearing on the Westmoreland side of the river.

— Facebook post by Dave Brooke in Pittsburgh Falconuts

Fortunately these two still have lots of time to get in sync.

UPDATE on the afternoon of 8 Feb 2025: Steve Gosser saw them mating.

1 February 2025

It’s Peregrine Season!

Today the National Aviary’s Falconcam at the University of Pittsburgh’s Cathedral of Learning has begun live streaming for the 2025 peregrine nesting season. Watch the Pitt falconcam to see the nesting season unfold.

For the next six weeks we’ll see the resident peregrine falcon pair courting at the nest: Ecco (male, unbanded) and Carla (female, banded Black/Blue S/07). These two have been a couple ever since Ecco’s former mate, Morela, died in mid-May 2023. Carla arrived that month but it was too late to begin a nest so they waited until the next season. Last spring they raised two young.

If Carla follows the same schedule as 2024 she’ll lay her first egg in mid-March, the eggs will hatch in late April, and the young will fledge around 1 June.

This week when the stream was in test mode it captured Ecco and Carla bowing at the nest. Watch as they strengthen their pair bond last Tuesday. (NOTE: Male peregrines are 1/3 smaller than females. The biggest bird is female.)

Click here and scroll down to watch the National Aviary Falconcam at the Cathedral of Learning.

(photo and video from the National Aviary falconcam at Univ of Pittsburgh)