September 16

BH/93 was found dead at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst this month. It was found near a runway along with a red-winged blackbird and meadowlark. All were struck by an aircraft.

July 8

We know everyone is concerned about BN/55 and her status. She was found on the ground below the Union County Courthouse on June 24. She is alive and being cared for by the great staff at The Raptor Trust. We are not sure when or where she will be released. When we know, then we will post another update.

Over the past several weeks, the fledglings have been seen on the cameras from time to time. A great place to check in on them if you don't have time to watch is on our interaction page. This is where viewers post snapshots of the birds. So far, it seems that only three have been seen recently, with BH/94 missing. It is hard to say what happened to him, if anything. He might just be hanging around on another part of the building and/or at the stage where he is not as reliant on the adults for food. Hopefully we will get a glimpse of him or get a re-sighting of him by his band one day.

In other news, it has been a great season here. Many other falcon nests throughout the state have not done well this year. We are extremely thankful that these birds are nesting at a site with staff who work hard to ensure their safety! Thanks to all the viewers who support this cam and these birds!

June 14

On Tuesday morning, those watching the Union County Falcon Cam saw the hatch on the roof open. An effort to foster a fledgling falcon from another nest was attempted. The young falcon fledged from a nest under I-295 and was recovered from the river beneath. After spending a few days in rehab, the decision to foster here was made, as going back to their bridge nest site would have been much more risky, with lots of fast moving vehicles and a river below.

Fostering is a technique that has been successful in many prior, similar situations. It is important for fledgling falcons, who still rely on adults for food, to be a part of a falcon family. This time the adults reacted badly, acting like the juvenile falcon was a competitor. It may be that the timing was just not close enough in terms of the fledging stage their own chicks were at, even though they were all still close to the building/roof and clearly dependent on the adults.

We re-activated the live streams and have not seen BN/55. We will be watching for sightings of her here and elsewhere. We’re thankful for the support of our faithful UC Falcon Cam viewers, wildlife rehabilitators, and volunteers who helped with this mission.

Anyone who finds a grounded or injured falcon or hawk should call the nearest licensed wildlife rehabilitator or the city/municipal Animal Control office for assistance.

June 3

The three males here are itching to fledge! The oldest is right around 5.5 weeks old and they all easily make their way around the roof and onto railings to perch, which is called branching. This is an important time for them to hone their flight skills, especially landing and taking off. They will take their first flights very soon, as males can fledge as early as six weeks old. Once they do fledge, the adults will continue to provide food for them. Sometimes, they will transfer prey mid-air, which will also help the young develop hunting skills that they will use for the rest of their lives.

If you do live in the Elizabeth area, have binoculars and want to volunteer, we could use a fledge watcher to see if these birds get into any trouble after fledging. They almost always do and this is where you would respond by working with NJ Fish & Wildlife, Union County, local police and animal control to capture the bird and transport it to a rehabilitator for triage care before being released. Please reach out to Ben Wurst if you’re interested.

May 21

It has been said before, time flies! This brood of four healthy eyases are now almost four weeks old and have been banded for future tracking. Yesterday, we joined Kathy Clark, Chief of the NJFW Endangered and Nongame Species Program and Union County staff to band all four young.

For banding, they were all brought inside the building so it can be done in a controlled environment. Falcon young can be sexed at the time of banding and all young produced here are male! This is a stark contrast to the last couple years when all were female!

To sex, their upper mandible/bill length is measured. This is to ensure the correct size band is used on the bird. Males are smaller, so their upper bills are smaller (up to 18mm) and they get a smaller band (size 6 – females get a size 7). This is a little more tricky when you have young that are all the same sex! It makes even the experienced bander double and triple check their measurements to be sure they are accurate and using the correct size band. You basically don't want to put a male band on a female or it would be too tight on their leg.

Their aux. bands are: BH/92, BH/93, BH/94 & BH/95. As they get larger and it gets warmer, they will head outside more and more. Soon they will be venturing around the roof ledges and make it harder to keep track of them. In another couple weeks, they will make their first flights, which is when they’re around 6-7 weeks old. If you live in the area and want to volunteer to watch this nest from the ground, we could use your help. Once these young fledge, they can often land on the ground. Having a volunteer on fledge watch really helps ensure their safety! Please reach out to Ben Wurst if you’re interested.

April 30

A lot has occurred since our last update! We now have a brood of four young. They hatched (4/24 – 1 & 2, 4/25 – 3, 4/26 – 4). Over the past week Frida has been doing an excellent job of caring for them. With the warm weather yesterday and today, she hasn’t had to brood them much besides in the evening. Now that they’re almost a week old, their fluffy down feathers help to keep them warm. Also, snuggling together in a ball helps as well.

On Friday morning, we will be visiting the site to medicate the young for trichomoniasis with Cathy Malok with The Raptor Trust. This is a pigeon borne disease which can kill young falcons if they become infected with the parasite. This is done as a precautionary measure to help ensure that the young remain healthy since a lot of their diet consists of pigeons.

April 12

Not much has been going on besides incubation exchanges between the male and female and an earthquake that was observed here on April 5 at 10:23am.

We’re now pass the halfway point of incubation and the young falcon is developing quickly within the egg. Eggs are kept warm at about the same temperature as the human body or 98.6 degrees F. In another 10-14 days hatch watch will begin.

March 28

The pair here now have a full clutch of four eggs! In the video above, you will see Frida lay the forth. This is such an amazing thing to witness, which wouldn’t be possible with this camera. With a full clutch, the pair will now take turns incubating the eggs for the next thirty days. During this time they will roll and turn the eggs so they develop properly.

When you watch you may see the falcon with one eye open and one closed, this is when they’re sleeping. This is where half their brain sleeps and the other is active, so they can rest while also still being alert to potential predators. This is called unihemispheric slow-wave sleep (USWS) and some birds can even do this while in flight during migration!

March 21

For those who have tuned in lately, we have been witnessing what is likely a territorial dispute, which is when a rival adult is attempting to takeover the nest. We have seen this when the female calls and leaves her nest to defend her territory. This happened yesterday and again this morning. The male has also been heard calling alongside his mate. We are not sure if it is a male or female who is attempting the takeover, but 2019 the previous female was replaced by this unbanded female (Frida). We are seeing this occur more and more at established nests as they are desirable to breeding age adults, which there are more of these days than in past years.

It is hard to capture on camera but we may see a glimpse of a passing falcon on the wing. Behavior of adults is how we can tell what is going on and having audio really helps when they are not visible on camera. Time will tell if any turnover will occur here. BW

March 20, 2024

Well, spring is here and for raptor biologists, that means it’s egg laying season! Here at the Union County Courthouse, they have two eggs. The first was laid on Saturday, March 16 and the second on March 19. The third should be laid in the next day or two. Frida is a bit early this year, but not far off from previous years. Last year the first egg was laid on March 19 and in 2022 the first was laid on March 18. Here is a video clip showing both eggs.

She will continue to sit on the eggs but also takes breaks where the eggs will be left alone. If she is not on camera, then she is nearby. These falcons defend their territories very aggressively, especially during this time of year. Incubation will begin when they have a full clutch of 3-4 eggs. They are incubated for around 30 days, so hatching should occur during Earth Week.