Courtship and Preparations on the Pitt Peregrine Nest

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Ecco and Carla court docket on the nest, 3 Mar 2024, 1:46pm (photograph from the Nationwide Aviary falconcam at Univ of Pittsburgh)

4 March 2024

Egg laying season is developing quickly on the Cathedral of Studying peregrine nest the place Ecco and Carla are courting steadily.

Yesterday they held three lengthy courting classes that included bowing, ee-chupping, and nest preparation. The ee-chup name sounds completely different for female and male peregrines. Ecco’s voice is squeaky whereas Carla’s voice is tough and barely decrease in pitch. She’s the one which makes the “huh” sound. You may hear the distinction on this 6-minute video. Extra data on what they’re as much as is described beneath.

video from the Nationwide Aviary falconcam at Univ of Pittsburgh

After bowing, Ecco left the nest so Carla might make preparations on her personal. To limber up she stretched her proper wing and leg.

Carla stretches her wing and leg, 3 March 2024 (photograph from the Nationwide Aviary falconcam at Univ of Pittsburgh)

To “construct” the nest, Carla put her chest in opposition to one fringe of it and kicked the gravel out together with her toes. The nest itself is a bowl within the gravel, known as a scrape, for holding eggs so that they don’t roll off the cliff. Peregrines don’t use sticks to construct their nests.

Carla digs the scrape, 3 March 2024 (photograph from the Nationwide Aviary falconcam at Univ of Pittsburgh)

After digging Carla puttered round on the gravel floor, swallowing small items of gravel to help digestion. Birds add gravel to their gizzards to grind the meals. Study extra about How Birds Chew on the hyperlink.

Carla eats gravel bits to assist her digestion, 3 March 2024 (photograph from the Nationwide Aviary falconcam at Univ of Pittsburgh)

And when she was completed Carla flew away.

Carla flies away, 3 March 2024 (photograph from the Nationwide Aviary falconcam at Univ of Pittsburgh)

Just a few weeks from now, after Carla lays her next-to-last egg, she’ll keep on the nest to incubate.

Within the meantime keep tuned for eggs coming in March or early April on the Nationwide Aviary Falconcam on the College of Pittsburgh.

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