Four falcon chicks thriving at City Hall

Four peregrine falcon chicks nesting on the 18th-floor ledge of San Jose City Hall were banded on May 13 after UC Santa Cruz biologists found them healthy. Researchers said all four chicks are male, and the work is part of a long-running Bay Area monitoring effort tied to one of the region’s most closely watched urban nests. (abc7news.com) San Jose’s City Hall falcon nest has been livestreamed since 2007 through cameras maintained by the city and the Predatory Bird Research Group at the University of California, Santa Cruz. (nbcbayarea.com) The current adult pair, Hartley and Monty, has occupied the site since the 2023 season, according to the city’s falcon page. ### Who handled the chicks, and what did they do? Zeka Glucs of the Santa Cruz Predatory Bird Research Group and colleagues banded the four chicks at 8 a.m. Wednesday at City Hall, ABC7 reported. NBC Bay Area reported that the bands were placed so the birds can be tracked over time. (nbcbayarea.com) ABC7 reported that each chick was also fitted with a radio transmitter attached to its leg, describing it as a first for the program. The added equipment is intended to help researchers remotely track the birds’ movements and location after they leave the nest. (sanjoseca.gov) ### Why is this nest watched so closely? The City of San José says the City Hall cameras are maintained in partnership with UC Santa Cruz’s Predatory Bird Research Group, which monitors nest productivity and the health and movements of chicks from San Jose City Hall and San Francisco PG&E nests. The city says the leg bands also help distinguish young falcons from one another on camera as they grow and begin flying. (abc7news.com) UC Santa Cruz says its Bay Area peregrine monitoring program has banded young falcons and tracked their movements, survival and productivity for 25 years. The group says the work relies on students and volunteer falcon observers and is designed to detect emerging threats to California raptors. (abc7news.com) ### Why are researchers paying extra attention now? ABC7 reported that researchers say peregrine falcon populations in the Bay Area are facing a steep decline because of avian flu, which the birds can contract from prey. The station reported that, of 47 nests monitored in the Bay Area in 2020, 11 remain occupied by healthy breeding adult peregrines. (sanjoseca.gov) ABC7 also reported that some previously active sites, including the Berkeley Campanile nest, have gone quiet in the past two years. In that context, the station said scientists regard the San Jose City Hall nest as especially important to the regional population. (predatorybirdresearch.sites.ucsc.edu) ### What happens before the chicks leave the ledge? NBC Bay Area reported that the chicks are expected to have enough feathers and wing strength to fly at about six weeks. The station said the adult falcons will keep feeding and protecting them until they can hunt and fend for themselves. (abc7news.com) A San José Public Library event listing says Santa Cruz Predatory Bird Research Group volunteers work each May and June near City Hall to observe fledglings and rescue them if needed while they are learning to fly. SFist likewise reported that volunteers are expected to be stationed outside City Hall when the chicks begin fledging. (abc7news.com) ### Where can the public follow the next stage? The City of San José says viewers can watch three live camera feeds showing the ledge, nest box and roof at City Hall. The city says those cameras were upgraded in 2024 by the Predatory Bird Research Group and the Institute for Wildlife Studies. (nbcbayarea.com) In the coming six weeks, those feeds and the volunteer watch at City Hall are expected to track the chicks’ first flights and the next phase of monitoring by UC Santa Cruz’s Predatory Bird Research Group. (nbcbayarea.com) (sanjoseca.gov) (sjpl.bibliocommons.com)