http://www.peregrinefalcons.be RSSFeed http://http://www.peregrinefalcons.be/ http://www.peregrinefalcons.be en Sat, 25 May 2013 05:47:39 +0200 http://http://www.peregrinefalcons.be/images/logo.jpg http://http://www.peregrinefalcons.be/ 64 170 http://www.peregrinefalcons.be/nieuws_detail.jsp?news_id=163 Since 2004, the year in which the peregrines first built a nest on the cathedral, a total of 31 young falcons fledged. 27 of them were ringed. The four others were born in 2004 and 2005, when the nest was not yet accessible. Thu, 23 May 2013 21:25:38 +0200 http://www.peregrinefalcons.be/nieuws_detail.jsp?news_id=162 The couple of the cathedral nests ... on a cathedral! But where to the other Peregrine couples build their nest in Belgium? Mon, 20 May 2013 22:34:55 +0200 http://www.peregrinefalcons.be/nieuws_detail.jsp?news_id=161 The falcons are now one month old, and the day they'll fledge is steadily approaching. But their plumage has to be fully developed for that. It's a crucial step, that requires a lot of energy. And that's why the parents feed their brood up to 5 or 6 times a day. Except for pigeons, it appears to be mainly swifts that appear on the menu. They seem to be the specialty of father falcon, even though the swift is one of the fastest birds in Europa, with top speeds of up to 100 km/h. <br/> Sun, 19 May 2013 20:43:59 +0200 http://www.peregrinefalcons.be/nieuws_detail.jsp?news_id=160 Observing a nest of Peregrine falcons for a few weeks. It’s at once a spectacle, a marvel, a study, a passion. Sun, 19 May 2013 10:00:49 +0200 http://www.peregrinefalcons.be/nieuws_detail.jsp?news_id=159 Peregrine falcons are apex predators. This means the species is at the top of the food chain. In other words, an adult falcon is not the prey of another animal species. It’s an important concept, but it’s kind of theoretical because sometimes, two apex predators compete with each other. And that is the case with the peregrine falcon and the eagle owl. In case of a confrontation, the eagle owl can easily take on the peregrine falcon, and make him his prey. This is nonetheless rather exceptional. Tue, 14 May 2013 09:04:20 +0200 http://www.peregrinefalcons.be/nieuws_detail.jsp?news_id=158 Three weeks is a good age to get ringed Sun, 12 May 2013 17:07:26 +0200 http://www.peregrinefalcons.be/nieuws_detail.jsp?news_id=157 The chicks (and their appetite) are still growing! Both parents hunt and nourish their breed. But sometimes the young start nibbling on carcasses which the parents left on the platform. Thu, 9 May 2013 15:24:48 +0200 http://www.peregrinefalcons.be/nieuws_detail.jsp?news_id=156 This morning one of the falcons started exploring. He left the platform and walked onto the balcony. This is normal behaviour; we see it every year on the cathedral. Probably they inherited this behaviour from ancestors that built their nest on cliffs, the natural habitat of peregrines in our regions. And indeed, the place where a female falcon lays her eggs is often not limited to a small space, like a nest built out of branches in a tree. Sometimes it's an irregular cavity in the surface of the cliff which could comprise several square meters. Wed, 8 May 2013 23:31:08 +0200 http://www.peregrinefalcons.be/nieuws_detail.jsp?news_id=155 The young falcons are now two weeks old. Their weight has increased more than tenfold. At the time of their birth, they each weighed about 30 grams, now they each weigh approximately 400 grams. The weight depends on the sex of the falcons; female falcons always weigh more than their male counterparts. The youngest falcon, who's four days younger than the eldest, seems to have caught up with his siblings. Fri, 10 May 2013 09:06:11 +0200 http://www.peregrinefalcons.be/nieuws_detail.jsp?news_id=154 On the cathedral both mother and father falcon are involved in raising their young. Both of them hunt and feed their five chicks. It's probably linked to necessity: such a big nest needs enough fresh meat. It also seems like it's linked to the birds' character. The first female who nested on the cathedral between 2004 and 2005 was very dominant towards her partner and only moderately tolerated his presence on the nest after the hatching. Sun, 5 May 2013 12:32:47 +0200 http://www.peregrinefalcons.be/nieuws_detail.jsp?news_id=153 One of the peregrine falcons' peculiar features (in our region that is) is that they nourish themselves with a great variety of prey, which are captured in full flight. Wed, 1 May 2013 13:02:24 +0200 http://www.peregrinefalcons.be/nieuws_detail.jsp?news_id=152 The plumage of an adult Peregrine falcon male differs from that of an adult female. This is a case of sexual dimorphism. This can have different functies in birds. The coloured plumage of the mallard for instance helps him seduce a female, whose plumage is brown and striped, so as to be less noticeable for predators while brooding. This would be a case of camouflage! Sun, 28 Apr 2013 16:16:18 +0200 http://www.peregrinefalcons.be/nieuws_detail.jsp?news_id=151 The nest this spring has 5 young falcons. Exceptional, because since the return of the Peregrine falcon to Belgium in 1994 we've seen something like this only 4 times in the 400 nests that we're studying in this country. The couples that raised such a big family nest on the tower of the plant of Electrabel GDF-Suez of Drogenbos (2008), on the Strépy-Thieu boat lift (2011) and of course on the cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula in Brussels (2010). Interesting observation: all cases were seen over the course of the last years and were found in "Middle Belgium", the region between the polders and the Ardennes. Sat, 27 Apr 2013 13:14:07 +0200 http://www.peregrinefalcons.be/nieuws_detail.jsp?news_id=150 Since the beginning of "Falcons for everyone" in 2005 we've tried to improve the observation system. Thu, 25 Apr 2013 20:32:29 +0200 http://www.peregrinefalcons.be/nieuws_detail.jsp?news_id=149 This Saturday, at about 15:29, mother falcon left the nest for a while. They huddled together. It still was chilly in Brussels but the sun shone and the youngest falcon was barely 20 hours old. Tue, 23 Apr 2013 20:19:16 +0200 http://www.peregrinefalcons.be/nieuws_detail.jsp?news_id=148 This evening the falcon family is complete! The five chicks were born between Tuesday 16 April 22:00 and Friday 19 April around 21:20. Sat, 20 Apr 2013 20:09:36 +0200 http://www.peregrinefalcons.be/nieuws_detail.jsp?news_id=147 Yesterday was calm. Since the first cries of the chicks on Monday nothing new had happened. Thu, 18 Apr 2013 12:32:28 +0200 http://www.peregrinefalcons.be/nieuws_detail.jsp?news_id=146 We haven't seen them yet but since this night the little falcons are chirping in their egg! We discovered it by looking at the footage of the day. At 21:32 the male tried again to cover the five eggs. This was a great undertaking for him, and just when he succeeded he got up again because under him we could hear the cries of at least one young falcon. This is crucial, because it initiates contact between the chicks and the parents. And it makes clear that the eggs will hatch in the coming hours. Finally we'll get to see them. After 37or 38 days of incubation! Tue, 16 Apr 2013 06:21:15 +0200 http://www.peregrinefalcons.be/nieuws_detail.jsp?news_id=145 It's 12 April and there still is not a single chick to see on top of the cathedral... Yet, we thought they would appear on 9 or 10 April. We're getting more and more impatient, and worried... Sat, 13 Apr 2013 16:00:31 +0200 http://www.peregrinefalcons.be/nieuws_detail.jsp?news_id=144 The two falcons that brood on the cathedral this spring are ringed. Fri, 12 Apr 2013 21:08:01 +0200 http://www.peregrinefalcons.be/nieuws_detail.jsp?news_id=143 The brooding period is almost at its end. Within one or two days the first chicks should hatch. For the future parents the incubation period is once again at its end. For 32 days they have sat on their five eggs, which were kept at a constant temperature of 37.7°C. Wed, 10 Apr 2013 19:12:30 +0200 http://www.peregrinefalcons.be/nieuws_detail.jsp?news_id=142 This year we added a few things to “Falcons for everyone”. The most important one would be without a doubt the installation of a new camera in front of the towers where the Peregrine falcons are brooding. The parents’ movements, their posing on the impressive gargoyles, the first flight of the young falcons … we can show it all to you now in even more detail! And also make sure to check out the building! With its height of 60 meters, construction began in the 13 th century. The gothic architecture, the centuries old limestone and the refined ornamental sculptures are exceptional parts of our patrimony! Wed, 10 Apr 2013 17:30:59 +0200 http://www.peregrinefalcons.be/nieuws_detail.jsp?news_id=141 Let’s start at the very beginning. The two Peregrines that built their nest on the cathedral did not go to a tropical destination in the winter. In our regions, adult falcons don’t migrate and even outside of the brooding  season they stay in their nesting territory. They spend less time on the cathedral than in the spring, that’s true. But they still regularly go there to spend the night. Fri, 5 Apr 2013 13:41:32 +0200 http://www.peregrinefalcons.be/nieuws_detail.jsp?news_id=140 The Peregrine falcons are back! And just like in previous years they built their nest on top of the St. Michael and St. Gudula cathedral in the heart of Brussels. Thu, 4 Apr 2013 11:37:24 +0200