Videos of de peregrine falcons that inhabit the tower of het Sint Jan in Maastricht in 2020
18 March 2020
For 8 years a pair of peregrine falcons have been breeding on the Sint Jan on the Vrijthof in Maastricht. Photo Paul Voskamp.
The peregrine falcon hunts other birds in the air from a high point. It can even reach speeds of up to 300 km per hour, making it perhaps the fastest animal in the world.
This year we can follow their nesting behaviour by watching videos made from a camera on top of the Sint Jan. We expect the eggs to hatch around April 8th. And then we hope for images of cute youngsters, growing feathers, doing flying exercises and maybe even the first flight.
See below recent movies, thanks to our clipmaker Patrick Geraerts!
Update 13
Common Swift on the menu
In this video we see how Rob and Martin are fed a common swift. The common swift is the second fastest bird in the world, so it is caught here by the fastest bird in the world.
Update Peregrine falcon 12, did the youngsters disappear? Fortunately not! Their world’s getting a little bigger. They’ll start flying lessons in a month!
In this longer clip (zoom in for details) you can see how mother Peregrine Falcon wants to feed her young larger chunks of meat. We know the first part: father brings a piece of plucked prey. Mother accepts it, tears off small pieces, and feeds them to the young without any problem. Then she switches to larger pieces. With great patience, she offers it again and again. For the time being without result. Recognizable for young parents?
Unfortunately the third egg doesn’t seem to hatch anymore. The other two chicks are doing well so far and are well taken care of. Mom and Dad have a nice division of tasks: Dad arrives with a piece of pre-picked prey and Mom feeds the young. Turn on the sound!
Two days old is the chick and already wants to explore the world. The dribbling youngster really needs to be warmed up! Turn on the sound!
Hurray! Chicks from the peregrine falcon in Maastricht!
This morning we suddenly saw two chicks! A whole new world for the chicks, after a month of quarantine in an eggshell. Their very first breakfast? Song thrush!
Father and mother quickly seem accustomed to their new role.
??? ??? ???? ??? ????? ?????? ?? ??????? ????? ?????? The female can be recognized by the metal ring around her right leg.
Is the third egg going to hatch?
Taking a flight
Woman Peregrine Falcon reveals her fourth egg when man lures her from the nest. Again that strange color … Hubby is scratching at the growing clutch. We suspect that it stays with four eggs. But whether he is comfortable with that?
The third egg was laid last night. Looks like a more normal color. Man and woman discuss the division of tasks. The female can be recognized by the steel ring on the right leg.
The peregrine falcon lays her second egg. That is very different from the first egg, actually not well colored. This is more common with birds of prey. The day before the lay, the egg shell is pigmented as rotating. Not known why it did not happen with this egg. Printer head clogged?
Peregrine Falcon female lays her first egg on her nest high in the tower of Saint John!
When the peregrine falcon was almost extinct worldwide by DDT, the egg was a coveted and precious collector’s item. Egg thieves threatened the population even further.
Just before the first egg is layed. You can hear the carillon, pronouncing the good news.