People around the world have been getting a bird’s-eye view of peregrine falcons raising four chicks in a nest box at Ameren’s Sioux Energy Center in St. Louis. A camera mounted near the birds’ nest box provides video feeds to each organization’s website.
The camera is made possible through a partnership of the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC), Ameren Missouri and the World Bird Sanctuary (WBS). This year’s nesting activities were first spotted in the beginning of February. According to WBS Director Jeff Meshach, the female peregrine falcon laid four eggs in mid-March, which hatched in mid-April.
Meshach placed leg bands on the four falcon chicks –– three males and one female –– on May 17. The process took about one hour and involved removing the chicks from the nest and taking them down from the nesting site to a trailer. WBS staff drew blood samples and weighed and measured the chicks. After banding the chicks, Meshach returned them to the nest.
“The chicks appear healthy and very well fed,” said Meshach. “The chicks should be fledging the nest in mid-June.”
The leg bands are issued to permitted organizations through the U.S. Geological Survey.
“The bands provide information on migration routes, migration distances and distributions on breeding birds,” Meshach explained. “For instance, we can tell that the mother of the chicks was hatched in 2006 at a power plant in Iowa. We know the male was hatched at the Labadie Energy Center in 2004.”
The nest can be viewed live from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. seven days a week on MDC’s website at mdc.mo.gov/node/16934.