Four Falcon Eggs Hatch Atop WoodmenLife Tower
In late March, the peregrine pair, Mintaka and Chayton, produced four falcon eggs atop WoodmenLife Tower. Later than expected, the first falcon hatchling got its initial glimpse of downtown Omaha and emerged from its shell in late afternoon on Thursday, May 6. In the early morning hours of Friday, May 7, all eyasses (baby falcons) were spotted in the nest box, which is on the east side of WoodmenLife Tower.
As WoodmenLife welcomes these four baby peregrine falcons into the world, Mintaka and Chayton have their work cut out for them. Like the incubation of the eggs, one of the pair must sit on the babies while the other hunts for food, because the freshly hatched falcons aren’t able to regulate their own body temperature. This important process, called brooding, occurs for the first week or so of the chicks’ lives.
Within the next 4 to 5 weeks, the hatchlings will develop their wings (fledge), as they prepare for their first flights out of the nest. From there, they’ll learn how to hunt and provide for themselves, eventually venturing off, finding their own territories and starting their own families.
You can watch the whole process unfold on our Falcon Cam, a 24/7 live feed that’s fixated on the peregrines’ nest. Be sure to check the WoodmenLife Facebook Page for future updates and banding plans for these four hatchlings.