Tag: Peregrine Cam

by Ethan Gilardi, Wildlife Biologist

Last Friday, Union County Department of Parks & Recreation Environmental Specialist Betty Ann Kelly sent us an exciting update on the Union County Falcon Cam.

It looks like our famous peregrine pair are officially expecting!

Great news! 

As some of you know, the rooftop of the Union County Courthouse has been home since 2006 to a pair of peregrine falcons, a threatened bird of prey species. Our female, nicknamed “Frida” because of her large “unibrow” between her eyes (reminding us of the South American artist) has laid her first egg of the season on March 19th, 2021 at 9:45 a.m.! 

We can expect possibly two or three more eggs over the course of the next few days with hatching occurring sometime in late April. 

Go to ucnj.org/falcon to catch a glimpse of the falcons and possibly the egg on our falcon cam!

We will keep you posted!

Betty Ann Kelly

Just two days later, this past Sunday, we received even more good news!

Today at around 2:20 p.m. after what seemed like considerable effort, our female peregrine falcon laid egg # 2. 

All is well. 

We expect another egg or two in the next few days. When the last egg is hatched, both male and female falcons will consistently incubate. 

By the way, this egg only looks bigger because of the camera’s wide angle lens. 

Go to ucnj.org/falcon to see! 

Betty Ann Kelly

And like clockwork on Wednesday, March 24th, even more good news came down the line!

At around 7:03 this morning, our female falcon laid a 3^rd egg. 

She seems to be incubating a little more consistently, so this may be it, but it is possible that she will lay a 4^th egg. 

Stay tuned! 

Betty Ann Kelly

Will there be a fourth egg? Stay tuned!

Keep an eye out on the Union County Falcon cam page to watch our falcon friends and maybe catch a glimpse of another egg arrival!

Also remember to check out CWF’s Falcon Cam page to join the Disqus conversation and see screenshots and updates posted by the webcam’s loyal viewers.

Peregrine falcons have nested atop the Union County Court House in downtown Elizabeth for many years. Each year, before the young birds fledge, scientists gather up the chicks and band their legs. 

The banding was a smaller than usual human affair this year to comply with social distancing and other health restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But it was a very active avian event with the adult falcons energetically dive bombing the biologists as they brought the eyases (young falcons) indoors for the banding.

Continue reading “Four Peregrine Falcon Chicks Banded in Union County”

The peregrine falcon’s New Jersey comeback story continued in 2019. The number of young produced rose slightly to 78 in 2019, as compared to 75 in 2018. The adult population was slightly lower at 38 known pairs, as compared to 40 known pairs in 2018.

Peregrine falcon populations had plummeted across much of the United States due to widespread use of the pesticide DDT before it was banned in 1972. Since the early 1980’s, peregrine falcons have been recovering at a slow but steady pace in New Jersey. While population numbers continue to increase, peregrine falcons still face a number of serious threats in New Jersey, particularly contaminants like pesticides, PCBs, and heavy metals in the food web.

Conserve Wildlife Foundation (CWF) and our partner New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife’s Endangered and Nongame Species Program (ENSP) recently released the 2019 New Jersey Peregrine Falcon Research and Management Program Report highlighting the continued recovery of the peregrine falcon in New Jersey.

Continue reading “Number of Peregrine Falcons Hatched in New Jersey Rose to 78 in 2019”

The breeding season started off well enough for the peregrine family that star on our Falcon Cam in Jersey City this year. Four eggs were laid, three sisters hatched, were banded and were growing up high atop the skyscraper at 101 Hudson Street. Thousands of viewers enjoyed seeing them flapping and jumping, strengthening their flight muscles for their first flight to fledge from the nest.

Continue reading “THREE SUCCESSFUL FLEDGES MARK THE END OF FRIGHTENING 2019 FALCON CAM SEASON IN JERSEY CITY”

Story by Alison Levine

Two sets of peregrine falcon chicks were recently banded high atop buildings in Elizabeth, Union County, and Jersey City. Biologists from Conserve Wildlife Foundation (CWF) and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s Endangered and Nongame Species Program (ENSP) checked the health and measurements of the falcons, while also placing both United States Geological Service bird bands and state auxiliary bands so the birds can be identified in the future.

NJTV and TAPintoUnion captured the banding in Union County, while News 12 New Jersey and CBS-2 covered the Jersey City banding.

Continue reading “Peregrine Falcon Bandings in Jersey City and Union County: The Importance of Banding Chicks”

Story by: TapINTO.net

A pair of American Eagles tend to their nest atop an 80-foot Sycamore tree at Duke Farms in Hillsborough, days away from the hatching of two eggs, while the courtship season has begun for a female peregrine falcon nesting on the roof of the historic 17-story Union County Courthouse in downtown Elizabeth.

The predators have achieved “rock star” status in classrooms and homes across the state and the country thanks to video cameras that have been installed on trees and within the nests of the birds by wildlife biologists, with live feeds available online.

Continue reading “TapINTO.net: Online Cameras Peer into Nests of ‘Rock Star’ New Jersey Predators”

Story by: Union County Office of Public Information

As the courtship season begins for peregrine falcons, residents of all ages and visitors from all over the world can observe and study one of the fastest animals on earth by tuning in to the Union County Falcon Cam. “The Falcon Cam is a great opportunity for residents of all ages to experience and learn about peregrine falcons up close,” said Freeholder Chair Bette Jane Kowalski. “This season we have a new female falcon, who has taken over the territory on the roof of the Union County Court House.”

Union County’s falcon preservation efforts have been undertaken with the generous assistance of the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife and Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey. Conserve Wildlife Foundation is Union County’s official partner for educational programming related to falcons and the Falcon Cam.

• Continue reading on Tap into Neighborhood News
• Learn more about CWF’s Peregrine Falcon Project
• Watch the Union County Falcon Cam