Peregrine Falcon Nest Cam

Overview

Under the cloak of secrecy, a pair of Peregrine Falcons adopted an Osprey Platform as a nesting site in 2002. Since the late eighties, a pair of Osprey had returned to this platform to raise their young.  Starting in the spring of 2002, the Osprey pair had been evicting wintering Peregrines that were using the platform as a vantage point and roost. Unfortunately, the Osprey pair did not return in 2002 for unknown reasons.  The wintering Peregrine was not driven off and they made their timeshare a permanent home.  On June 11, 2004, two downy chicks were seen on the nest platform.  This was the first record of Peregrine Falcons nesting in the marshes of the Town of Hempstead.

Since Peregrines are a New York State endangered species, certain protocols needed to be followed.  The Osprey platform was replaced with a roofed structure designated for this species in New York State, which better supports the typical habitat of a Peregrine Falcon, who prefers to nest in cavities on the sides of cliffs. Since then, this nest has been occupied by four different females. 

These peregrines are not migratory; they are year-round residents that live in our marshes feeding on the abundance of bird species throughout the year.  They begin their nesting process in March, laying their first eggs usually by mid-March, with the eggs hatching by mid-April and the young birds eventually leaving the nest in the early part of June.  Visit the NYS DEC website to learn more about Peregrine Falcons.

2023 Season

Our Middle Bay Peregrine couple is back at their platform this year. The same unbanded female as last year has returned with her banded male from New Jersey who was born in 2013.  This year, their egg-laying dates  were back on schedule for this species, compared to last year’s slight tardiness.  They produced 4 eggs, with the clutch complete on 3/28. Hatching began on Friday 4/28, a cold, windy, rainy night, with the first and second chicks fully hatched out on the wet, windy morning of 4/29.  

Dates eggs were laid:  1st egg - 3/21/2023, 2nd egg - 3/23/2023, 3rd egg - 3/25/2023, 4th egg 3/28/2023.

Hatch Date:  Chicks 1 and 2 - 4/29/2023

Check out photos from our 2023 Peregrine Album, and highlights from the nest cam on our YouTube Channel!

Live Stream