A Little Pair Bonding

18 July 2021

This spring Ecco and Morela successfully raised four young peregrines at the Cathedral of Learning. All four fledged in early June and became independent in the subsequent weeks. One or two stopped by for a handout in early July but Ecco and Morela were having none of it. “You’re on your own.”

Now that the “kids” are gone (wrong! see below), Ecco and Morela are molting and staying close to home. In the past two days they have visited the nest several times and bowed together for a little pair bonding.

p.s. In the slide with Morela’s open wings, notice that she is replacing her middle two tail feathers. The white tips are halfway down her tail.

UPDATE 18 July 2021 at 5pm: The “kids” aren’t all gone. One of the youngsters was circling and begging loudly at 5pm at the Cathedral of Learning.

(photos from the National Aviary snapshot camera at Univ of Pittsburgh)

5 thoughts on “A Little Pair Bonding

  1. Glad they leave the camera on a little while after fledging. Hope we have many years of success from these two.

  2. It was a wonderful year to watch this nest. Parents did a super job raising their chicks. Hoping next year is just as successful. Peregrine falcons are an amazing bird to observe.

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