25 February 2026
Peregrine season has begun in southwestern Pennsylvania! Pairs are claiming nest sites and courting frequently just before egg-laying begins. Observers have seen peregrines at 11 of our 12 sites this month and there are bonus sites where no one has nested yet! Check out the regional map and the peregrine news below.
Map legend: Dark blue=bridge sites, Red=building sites, Pale blue=no success in 2025
- Sites marked yellow produced fledglings last year.
- Westinghouse Bridge (successful in 2025) has not had any observers yet.
Activity throughout the region:
Cathedral of Learning, Univ of Pittsburgh:
Ecco and Carla are on the Cathedral of Learning falconcam every day for short-to-long bowing sessions. As I walked past the building yesterday I saw one of them zooming just over the treetops toward Carnegie Library. The starlings froze in position and then evacuated when the peregrine was gone!
Watch the pair “live” on the National Aviary falconcam. Here they are courting just after dawn on 19 February.
In 2024 Carla laid her first egg on 14 March, in 2025 it was on 16 March. When will she lay her first egg this year?
East Liberty Presbyterian Church steeple:
The East Liberty peregrines are easy to see in the sky near the church and sometimes perched on the building. Adam Knoerzer has been treated to some pretty exciting stuff this week.
Adult female peregrine just snatched a pigeon right outside my office window over Evaline Street. Wow, is that crazy to see eye-level.
— TXT message from Adam Knoerzer, 24 Feb 2026
Downtown Pittsburgh, 3rd Avenue:
No news from the nest area on Third Avenue but on 10 February Montgomery Brown reported nearby:
[Peregrine] Flew right past my office window twice, once in each direction, then swooped down toward Grant St. past the front of the county courthouse
— ebird report by Montgomery Brown, 10 Feb 2026
West End Bridge, Ohio River:
On 1 February Jeff Cieslak found two peregrines at the West End Bridge. The male is banded.
Eckert Street / Brunot Island/ McKees Rocks Bridge, Ohio River:
On 1 February during his Ohio River tour Jeff Cieslak found a pair of peregrines hanging out near the river at Westhall Street. Where will they nest? Will anyone be able to find it?
Sewickley Bridge, Ohio River:
This month one or both peregrines have been seen at the Sewickley Bridge where they nested successfully last year in their new nest box, thanks to Jeff Cieslak. Stop by for a visit to see how they’re doing.
Monaca RR Bridge, Ohio River:
All reports have been of a solo peregrine near or on the railroad bridge. On 16 February Jason Short reported 1 peregrine and 1 raven so I think the annual peregrine-raven competition for the bridge has begun. In some years the ravens win the railroad bridge and the peregrines have to nest on the Rt51 Monaca-East Rochester bridge.
62nd Street / Highland Park / Aspinwall Bridges, Allegheny River:
Andy Georgeson saw 1 peregrine at the Highland Park Bridge on 1 February
Gulls all of a sudden got riled up and then I saw a Peregrine swoop in. It started chasing and diving after the gulls, it just missed one gull in particular before flying off
— ebird report by Andy Georgeson, 1 Feb 2026
Tarentum Bridge, Allegheny River:
Photos and news from Dave Brooke:
I was starting to worry about these falcons because I wasn’t seeing them. This afternoon [25 Feb 2026] I got the full menu. She was in the nest box calling ee-chup while looking up. He finally came down and followed her into the nest box. Then she flew to the upriver nav light beam which means that she wanted to copulate, although I usually see her do it on the downriver [light]. I missed seeing the actual act but he followed her there and moments later, flew around in some big circles before returning to the nest box pier.
By my count this will be year 9 for her and she has fledged 27 young.
— email from Dave Brooke on 25 Feb 2026
Do you see both peregrines in this photo? They’re there!
Duck Hollow, Monongahela River:
Duck Hollow is on the boundary of the Cathedral of Learning’s territory and, though it’s not a nesting site, one dark brown peregrine (immature?) has been seen here often harassing gulls, as recently as this week. On 8 February, James Baker captured these images for his eBird checklist.
James wrote:
Peregrine flew over the area chasing some gulls at 1655. It then flew downstream and landed in a tree near the bridge. I was able to hike down the trail a few hundred yards and spot it sitting in a tree.
— description in James Baker’s ebird checklist, 8 Feb 2026
Westinghouse Bridge, Turtle Creek, Monongahela Watershed:
No reports yet this year.
Rt. 40 Bridge, West Brownsville, Washington-Fayette Counties, Monongahela River:
On 16 February David Argent reported:
Two Peregrine Falcons. I believe these were first observed in 2024 by Fred Kachmarik. I spotted one perched high atop the bridge pylon. The other periodically flew by, screeching. I could not get a picture
— ebird report from David Argent, 16 Feb 2026
The first half of March is prime time to get out and look for peregrines in southwestern Pennsylvania. Right now they are most noticeable, but as soon as they lay eggs and start incubation they’ll “disappear.”
Check out these sites soon and tell me what you see. Need directions? Leave a comment.
Some updates (2/27) [photos in the replies on the Facebook post]:
– Downtown/3rd Ave: one bird in the scrape area around 1030
– West End Bridge: no birds. I think I saw one on the bridge late last week, I haven’t seen two since 2/1.
– Brunot Island RR Bridge (formerly Eckert Street/Alcosan): one bird atop the bridge, first I’ve seen any since 2/1. I’m assuming this is a male because the female I saw was titanic.
– Spruce Run bridge: did not check today, no sign of anything for months
– Sewickley: one bird today
– Monaca: no PEFAs, I saw what I think was a raven flying away from the south tower of the RR bridge
THANK YOU, Jeff!