Peregrine falcon chicks hatch in Franklin County; public can watch live on Falcon Cam

FOX23 News at 9 p.m

MISSOURI (KBSI) – Peregrine falcon chicks have hatched in Franklin County, officials announced Monday, continuing a conservation partnership among Ameren Missouri, World Bird Sanctuary and the Missouri Department of Conservation.

The public can follow the chicks’ development through Ameren Missouri Falcon Cam as the adult birds prepare them to leave the nest later this summer.

Officials said the eggs were laid in late March and hatched after about 30 days of incubation. Within about nine days, the chicks will be able to regulate their body temperature, allowing both parents to focus on hunting. By around six weeks, the young falcons are expected to begin flying.

Conservation partners said the hatchlings are siblings to chicks from the previous two seasons in Franklin County. The nesting pair has now produced a dozen chicks at the site.

While peregrine falcons were removed from the federal endangered species list in 1998, they remain a vulnerable species in Missouri, with only a limited number of breeding pairs in the St. Louis region.

Officials said the Falcon Cam provides both research insight and a rare opportunity for the public to observe the birds’ development. The livestream is available daily from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. through June.