Four Healthy Peregrine Falcon Chicks Have Hatched on a Ledge at San Jose City Hall

"Four chicks have hatched this spring in the nest box atop San Jose City Hall, and biologists from UC Santa Cruz have given them a clean bill of health. Avian flu has decimated the peregrine falcon population here and elsewhere, leaving the falcon nest atop UC Berkeley's Campanile tower and many others sadly empty the past nesting seasons. But at least one publicly watched nest has been occupied this breeding season."

"Researchers from the Santa Cruz Predatory Bird Research Group paid a visit to the 18th-floor nest at San Jose City Hall this week to tag the four newest additions, and they determined that all four chicks are male. And in a first for the program, each bird will be fitted with a radio transmitter in addition to the usual identifying leg bands, allowing researchers to track their movements remotely as they eventually disperse across the region."

"The chicks are expected to fledge and make their first flights in about six weeks, at which point a small army of volunteers will be stationed outside City Hall to make sure none of them come down before they're ready. The San Jose City Hall nest has been among a small group of closely watched and webcam-equipped peregrine falcon nesting sites in the Bay Area ever since a pair of birds first showed up to scope out the ledge of the then-new building back in 2006."

"The Santa Cruz Predatory Bird Research Group subsequently installed a nest box in 2007, and the falcons have been nesting there and captivating webcam viewers around the world ever since. The resident female for most of that run was a bird named Clara, who cycled through a series of mates with names like Jose, Carlos, and Fernando before she was replaced in the 2019 season by Grace."

Four peregrine falcon chicks hatched this spring in the nest box atop San Jose City Hall and were found healthy by biologists from UC Santa Cruz. Avian flu has greatly reduced peregrine falcon numbers in the Bay Area and elsewhere, leaving many nesting sites empty in recent seasons. Researchers visited the 18th-floor nest to tag the chicks and determined that all four are male. Each chick will receive a radio transmitter in addition to leg bands to allow remote tracking as the birds disperse across the region. The chicks are expected to fledge and make first flights in about six weeks, with volunteers monitoring the area to prevent premature falls. The City Hall nest has been watched since 2006 and has used a nest box since 2007, with webcam coverage drawing viewers worldwide.

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