In what has been an annual happening, the Red-tailed Hawk pair that live on a ledge at Philadelphia’s Franklin Institute, hatched three babies this past week.
Red-Tail Hawks in Philadelphia
In the Philadelphia area, Red-tails lay their first egg in mid-March. And right on time the Franklin Institute female laid her first egg on March 17, 2011. The last egg hatched two days ago on April 25.
Red-Tails in the Ecosystem
We watched the show at the nest last year and it is just as great a learning experience as this year.
Today, I watched the Red-tailed hawk parent feed her/his chicks what looked like a rat. Gruesome, but I am sure in the Center City and river areas there are plenty rodents to feast upon. I read on the website that this pair of Red-tails are partial to pigeon.
The Hawks are performing (for free) a useful service for their human neighbors, rat-catcher. How much would this service cost from a human being?
There is no artificial lighting at the nest, so you can only see the birds during the day. See all the gory glory at http://www.fi.edu/hawks/
More Information on Birds of Prey (Raptors)
Bird of Prey Facts – What Makes a Raptor, a Raptor?
Birds of Prey of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and New Jersey: A Checklist
This is something that I must see!