BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — For years, a live camera perched atop Buffalo’s historic Statler building has provided a rare glimpse into the lives of peregrine falcons. Now, the birds are once again preparing to welcome new hatchlings.
Earlier this week, two falcon eggs appeared in the nesting box on the 18th floor of the Statler.
Then, while watching the live stream in the afternoon, viewers witnessed a surprise—egg number three had arrived.
“This is our falcon box—where the falcons live and nest,” Alex Shean, Director of the Statler said. “A few years ago, they laid five eggs, which is pretty rare. Right now, we have two. They were hoping for maybe a third.”
With that hope now realized, the falcons are settling in for the incubation process.
Tanya Penska, curator at Hawk Creek Wildlife Center, said the real waiting game now begins.
“The female is going to do most of the incubation, but we have seen some switches happening with this pair,” she explained. “They’ll incubate these eggs for about 33 days.”
During this time, the adult falcons will continue hunting and gathering food, ensuring they’re prepared for their growing family. Once the chicks hatch, the transformation will be remarkable.
“Literally, as you're watching this camera, you're going to have a unique experience,” Penska said. “These birds go from tiny little chicks that can barely pick up their heads to flying birds in just 40 days.”
But that first flight isn’t always graceful.
“When they do that, they don’t really fly—they just kind of float,” Shean said. “A lot of times, they’ll just float down to the streets, and we’ll get calls saying, ‘Hey, there’s a falcon down.’ Then, we have to call the appropriate people to bring them back up to the roof.”
Now, with three eggs nestled safely, all eyes are on the live stream, counting down the days until they hatch.
“So now we just wait and watch,” Shean said.
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