The Franklin Institute Hawk Nest
UPDATE: June 29: The live view of the nest has been discontinued. The archived video remains accessible. Thanks to all those who shared this amazing experience with us. We'll be watching for the return of our resident hawks next season and will restore the live video stream when they do.
June 15: In preparation for the inevitable pain of empty-nest syndrome, some loyal watchers have formed a support group called Franklin Hawkaholics in Facebook. All are welcome.
June 10: Rick Schubert has posted an account of Saturday's events.
June 9: The third nestling was returned to the nest on June 8 after having spent two days at the Schuylkill Rehabilitation Center. Photos are posted below. There is a wide ledge beside the nestbox, off camera. Rick and Gene opened a window and placed her on that ledge. She then promptly hopped into the nest.
June 6: One of the nestlings was in peril today and has been taken to the Schuylkill Center for rehabilitation. Read this account of the day's events. See photos of the events below. Also, see coverage in The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Birthday! | Images | About the Nest | About the Hawks | What's Next? | In the News
Two Red-tailed Hawks have built a nest on a window ledge at The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia. The nest sits just outside a window where a camera has been positioned to create this video stream. The camera looks through the glass window pane which is 24 inches wide (~61 cm). No artificial lighting has been added, so the nest is only visible during daylight hours.
Happy Birthday, Babies!
The following images are low-resolution, but capture the excitement of Thursday, April 16 and Friday, April 17, the days the nestlings hatched.
Thursday, April 16
IMAGE 1: 1st chick hatched, 2nd chick emerging, 3rd shell intact
IMAGE 2: 1st chick hatched, 2nd chick emerging, 3rd shell intact
IMAGE 3: 1st chick hatched, 2nd chick emerging, 3rd shell intact
IMAGE 4: 1st chick active, 2nd chick hatched, 3rd shell intact
IMAGE 5: 1st chick active, 2nd chick hatched, 3rd shell punctured
Friday, April 17
IMAGE 6: 1st and 2nd chicks active, 3rd shell punctured
IMAGE 7: 1st and 2nd chicks active, 3rd chick beginning to emerge
IMAGE 8: Evening Feeding, all 3 chicks hatched and hungry
Images of the Hawks, Nest, and Eggs
Below are snapshots of the hawks, the nestbox, and the egg. Click the small image to increase the resolution.
Kay Meng's Photo Gallery: Follow this link to see Kay's photos.
Deb & Leo's Gallery: Follow this link to see Deb & Leo's photos, including photos from June 6's events.
Hawkwatch at The Franklin Institute: Follow this link for news and photos posted by sunnydixie.
June 11, 2009: Out of the nest, but still in the area. - By Gene Mancini
June 8, 2009: 6:30PM - About an hour after the return of the third nestling. Mother in flight. Note other nestling on ledge near her. - By Gene Mancini
June 8, 2009: The return of the third nestling. - By Gene Mancini
June 6, 2009: One nestling is in peril. Unable to achieve lift and return to safe perch. - By Gene Mancini
June 4, 2009: Mother and child nearby. Child alone. Mother alone. Approximately 12:00PM. - By Gene Mancini
June 3, 2009: Photos of the first flight. 11:27AM - By James B. Warden
June 3, 2009: Photos of the Adult Female, keeping watch over the nest from the roof of the building, one storey above the nest. - By Gene Mancini
June 1, 2009
May 28, 2009
May 1-7, 2009
Earlier Photos
About the Nest
In January, the hawks began to construct the outer shell of a nest by positioning sticks on the ledge. Before they were able to complete their project, however, strong winds knocked the structure from the ledge. After consulting with experts at the nearby Academy of Natural Sciences and the Pennsylvania Game Commission to learn that the hawks would not abandon the nest if humans intervened, The Franklin Institute's staff carpenter added a wooden extension to the ledge and replaced the nest. The Institute also consulted with the Pennsylvania State Game Commission to make sure the intervention was in line with state laws. The hawks seemed to like the added security of their deluxe new perch and returned to complete their project. The nest is now quite large and dense, padded with found materials including some small pine branches.
About the Hawks
The Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) is the most common hawk in North America. It is a large bird with a broad, red tail. The female is usually larger than the male. It appears that a male and a female are co-constructing the nest at The Franklin Institute. Red-tailed Hawks are monogamous, meaning that a hawk will choose one mate and stay with that mate for life.
Philadelphia provides a suitable year-round habitat for Red-tailed Hawks. They can be found in open areas with elevated perches where they sit and watch for their prey. They are meat-eaters and feed on small to medium-sized mammals and birds. In an urban area such as Philadelphia, that would certainly include rodents, although these particular hawks are most commonly observed to be feeding on pigeons.
The Red-tailed Hawk builds its nest in a tall tree or other elevated perch. The nest is a circular assembly of sticks and twigs, lined with softer pieces. It appears that The Franklin's hawks have used newspaper scraps and feathers to soften their nest. Tree bark and leaves are also known to be used in nesting.
Red-tailed Hawks will lay a clutch of two to four eggs in March or April, depending on climate. (A clutch is the collection of eggs, kind of like a "litter" in other species.) For Philadelphia's latitude, the eggs are likely to be laid in mid-March. In fact, the first egg arrived on Monday, March 9. The second egg arrived on Thursday, March 12. The third arrived on Sunday, March 15.
The female lays the eggs one at a time, approximately every other day. The number of eggs is related to the availability of food in the area, as a well-fed female is likely to lay more eggs.
What's Next?
Incubation of the clutch lasts for 28-35 days, which means we could have begun to see signs of hatching during the week of April 6. The female was most responsible for incubation, but the male substituted when the female needed to exercise or hunt. The nestlings began to hatch on Thursday, April 16.
About 43-45 days after hatching, the babies (known as nestlings) will begin to leave the nest to learn to fly and hunt. At 10 weeks, they will leave the nest for good.
As the eventual departure from the nest inevitably approaches, The Franklin Institute has developed a plan to make sure that the hawks safely make their way into the world. We have been in contact with Rick Schubert of the Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education. He is the Director of the Wildlife Rehabilitation Clinic. He has experience in the handling and care of injured raptors and their eventual successful re-release into the wild. He is on alert and will be the person we take the birds to in the event of an unfortunate incident. We remain completely optimistic, however, that the hawks will safely and successfully leave the nest.
In the News
The Franklin Institute Hawk Nest has been featured in local news media.
June 6: The Philadelphia Inquirer
June 4: The Philadelphia Inquirer
May 28: Sandy Bauers' GREEN SPACE
April 16: 6 ABC Video
April 16: Sandy Bauers' GREEN SPACE
March 13: The Philadelphia Inquirer
March 11: 6 ABC News
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Want to learn more? |
Visit the Visual Resources for Ornithology section at The Academy of Natural Sciences. |