ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - The wait is over, and the chicks have arrived. Situated in a nesting box more than 160-feet above the Sioux Energy Center, the Ameren Missouri Falcon Cam is providing viewers with a first glimpse of two recently hatched Peregrine falcon chicks.
This year marks the eighth Falcon Cam season, which began March 19, when the first egg was laid. The live feed will continue until the young chicks are able to leave the nest and survive on their own.
World Bird Sanctuary deputy director Jeff Meshach says it will be about 42 days before the chicks will be old enough to fly. So until about the end of June, we will be able to "see nature up close and at its wildest," says Meshach.
The live Falcon Cam feed is provided by Ameren Missouri in partnership with World Bird Sanctuary and the Missouri Department of Conservation.
Peregrine falcon facts:
- Female Peregrines average 2 lbs., 4 ounces with a 40-inch wingspan.- Males average 1 lb., 6 ounces with a 30-inch wingspan.- When hunting, Peregrines dive down on their prey at speeds well over 200 mph, making them the fastest animals on earth.
In 2018, Ameren Missouri’s Falcon Cam received more than 10,000 visitors, with peak viewership occurring in the days following the arrival of the chicks.
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