Today the National Aviary’s Falconcam starts streaming the 2026 peregrine nesting season at the University of Pittsburgh’s Cathedral of Learning.
Ecco and Carla are already courting and bowing, as seen yesterday at 8:00am. Their time at the nest is brief this week in the deep snow but if you’re lucky you’ll see them when you tune in. You will certainly see their footprints in the snow.
These images from Jan 29-31 were captured by the snapshot camera before the streaming cam kicked off the season today.
If you see Ecco and Carla bowing, listen for the soft sounds they make to each other. Carla’s voice is gravelly (she’s larger). Ecco’s voice is a whistle-squeak. (He’s the small one.)
Pitt peregrine Falconcam cleaning in progress, 14 Jan 2026 (photo by Kate St. John)
15 January 2026
Yesterday the annual falconcam cleaning crew prepared for this year’s nesting season by cleaning the peregrine nestbox and falconcams.
Gracie Jane Gollinger from Univ of Pittsburgh and Bob Mulvihill of the National Aviary had a warmer time of it this year. Yesterday’s temperature was around 40°F — not like last year’s 10°F nor today’s 8°F wind chill.
Gracie Jane Gollinger heads for the falconcams
Bob Mulvihill heads toward the cams
examining the site
reaching the cams
cleaning supplies
preparing
cleaning the streaming cam
all done
Camera cleaning went well and the nestbox had no weeds to pull. However, just like last year we found prey remains that were pretty easy to identify: yellow-billed cuckoo, northern flicker, American woodcock.
Dessicated yellow-billed cuckoo carcass near Pitt peregrine nest, 14 Jan 2026 (photo by Kate St. John)Northern flicker feather near Pitt peregrine nest, 14 Jan 2026 (photo by Kate St. John)Wing of American woodcock that fell prey to Pitt pererines, upper side, 14 Jan 2026 (photo by Kate St. John)Wing of American woodcock that fell prey to Pitt pererines, upper side, 14 Jan 2026 (photo by Kate St. John)
Bob also found regurgitated pellets.
Peregrine pellets near Pitt peregrine nest, 14 Jan 2026 (photo by Kate St. John)
Job well done.
Falconcam cleanup crew on 14 Jan 2026 (photo by Gracie Jane Gollinger)
Carla and Ecco bow at the Pitt peregrine nest, 5 Jan 2026 (photo from the National Aviary snapshot camera at Univ of Pittsburgh)
6 January 2026
The peregrine falcons at the Cathedral of Learning, Ecco and Carla, have begun to think about the upcoming nesting season. Yesterday they spent time courting. Carla’s first egg is less than 10 weeks away.
This winter I’ve often seen Ecco preening on the green perch in front of the nest but Carla rarely visits. Now that the winter solstice has passed and the days are slightly longer (+ 8 minutes, 28 seconds today) greater light levels will trigger hormone production. I know it helped my mood that the sun came out yesterday. Maybe it helped them, too.
Watch as Ecco preens and stretches yesterday morning. Then at 12:41pm the pair began a five minute bowing session.
Check the live snapshots to see if peregrines are at the nest. Still shots from both falconcams are at FALCONCAM – CL snapshots.
Stay tuned for the National Aviary‘s Live Stream that will start next month.
Peregrine falcons occur on every continent including Australia and always breed in the spring. In Pittsburgh their time at the nest runs late February to early June. In Australia it runs late August to early November.
You might see them when you watch in the morning in the U.S. when it is night in Australia and the peregrines are roosting. By afternoon the peregrines will be waking up, and since they will fledge soon you might not see them.
At top, an adult perches atop the nestbox, visible on the North Facing Stream on Sunday night 9 November at 10:34pm (6:34am Pittsburgh).
Below, two juvies roost at the runway in sight of the South Facing Stream on Sunday night at 10:50pm.
Allegheny River and Highland Park Bridge, 25 Oct 2025 (photo by Kate St. John)
26 October 2026
Over the years, peregrine falcons have been seen near the Highland Park Bridge but the most recent evidence of nesting was in 2022 when Mark Vass saw an adult feeding a juvenile in late June 2022.
In early March 2024 Justin Kolakowski saw a pair of peregrines chase a bald eagle, then land on the water tower near the bridge. I visited Aspinwall Riverfront Park and walked the trail seven times from March to July that year and found as many as 70 American herring gulls (Larus smithsonianus) but no peregrines. Then on 8 August 2024 I saw 1 peregrine falcon, obviously not nesting, and 60 herring gulls.
August 2024: Peregrines: 1, Gulls: 60
Yesterday I went back to Aspinwall Riverfront Park and was surprised to find no gulls at all — zero — but while I was counting pigeons a peregrine falcon zoomed upriver and made two sharp dive-and-climb displays. I lost track of him when a female peregrine arrived from upstream, flew past him and landed on the bridge. Their size difference was obvious –male and female.
October 2025: Peregrines 2, Gulls 0.
Allegheny River and Highland Park Bridge, 25 Oct 2025 (photo by Kate St. John)
Preening is really important for birds because it’s the only way to keep their feathers in tip-top condition. They use their beaks to remove dirt and parasites, waterproof their feathers with preen oil, interlock feather barbules, and set each feather in its proper place. To reach all (*) their feathers, their necks have to be very flexible.
Yesterday Carla, the female peregrine at Univ. of Pittsburgh, spent several hours preening in front of the nestbox. Sometimes she looked like a contortionist.
In the photo below, can you find her head and beak? They aren’t where you think they are.
(*) p.s. The only feathers birds cannot reach on their own are the ones on top of their heads. That’s where they need a buddy to help. It’s called allopreening.
Peregrine (Gusto) comes in for a landing, February 2022, Ohio (photo by Chad+Chris Saladin)
9 September 2025
Yesterday I mentioned that though many peregrines migrate, Pitt’s peregrines stay here year round. Let’s look at who migrates and who doesn’t with a focus on peregrines in the Americas.
Migratory peregrines
Peregrines eat birds for a living so they have to leave when their food source flies away on migration. In fact peregrines fly with their food because they can catch and eat birds in the air!
North America’s arctic peregrines all leave within a week of the autumnal equinox (22 September this year). In late October 2008 an immature arctic peregrine was passing through Pittsburgh when he got stuck on a balcony. October is when arctic peregrines pass over Pittsburgh, considering when they leave home. Read about his rescue here.
Juvenile arctic Peregrine Falcon found in downtown Pittsburgh, late October 2008 (photo by Todd Katzner)
Here are some of the birds he would have eaten on the breeding grounds — American pipit, northern pintail and lapland longspur. These also leave at the autumnal equinox.
American pipit, Algonquin Provincial Park, Canada (photo from Wikimedia Commons)Northern pintails (photo by Alan Schmierer via Wikimedia Commons, Creative Commons license)Lapland longspur (photo from Wikimedia Commons)
The slideshow below dramatically illustrates how quickly arctic peregrines leave on migration. The dark purple blob in Arctic Canada in the week of 20 September is gone by the next week. They are on their way to South America.
Peregrine falcons find a lot to eat in North American cities year round. Pigeons are resident and there’s an influx of migratory starlings in winter.
Pigeons in flight (photo from Wikimedia Commons)Winter flock of starlings in Newark, Ohio (photo from Wikimedia Commons)
Peregrines are present in eastern North America cities during the shortest days of the year — the week of the winter solstice 20 December. This map indicates they are concentrated at the coast (purple) with a scattering of inland hotspots. The coastal sites include migratory peregrines and wandering immature birds. The inland purple dots are non-migratory peregrines.
Peregrine abundance in eastern North America on the winter solstice, week of Dec 20 (map from eBird Status and Trends)
Pittsburgh Peregrine Fans, notice how Pittsburgh is a dark purple dot on the map in December. Those are reports of our resident peregrines. Good work, eBirders!
Watch as peregrine abundance ebbs and flows across the globe. Some of the purple blobs in the Southern Hemisphere are fascinating.
Some adult peregrines in eastern North America stay on territory year round. The Pitt peregrines at the Cathedral of Learning are one such couple.
With the breeding season over and their youngsters dispersed Ecco and Carla stay home and watch fall migration pass through Pittsburgh. Most migratory birds are of interest as a food source while raptors are watched in case they become a threat.
At night Ecco and Carla roost on the Cathedral of Learning and see each other during the day. They won’t need to court until early next year but they strengthen their pair bond by bowing at the nest a couple of times a week.
Peregrine falcon, “Luna,” can’t believe there’s a bug on her foot, 20 Aug 2025, Rocky River, Ohio (photo by Chris Saladin)
22 August 2025
I don’t know about you, but I haven’t seen a plague of spotted lanternflies in Allegheny County this year. At this time in August 2023 they were everywhere, but not now. At least, not yet.
Spotted lanternflies in the City of Pittsburgh, 21 August 2023 (photo by Kate St. John)
The plague has moved northwest. Spotted lanternflies are overwhelming the Cleveland area right now — so much so that they even climbed up a peregrine’s foot while she was minding her own business in Rocky River. (picture at top; yellow circle around the bug)
Chris Saladin captured photos of the bugs crowding “Luna” as she perched on a lightpost. When she opened her wings to fly there was one on her wing! Ewwww.
Peregrine with spotted lanternfly on her wingtip, 20 Aug 2025, Rocky River, Ohio (photo by Chris Saladin)
Luna went airborne and so did the bugs.
Bird and bugs fly at the same time, 20 Aug 2025, Rocky River, Ohio (photo by Chris Saladin)
These are probably the First Ever photos of the simultaneous flight of peregrine falcon and spotted lanternflies.
Peregrine escapes the lanternflies, 20 Aug 2025, Rocky River, Ohio (photo by Chris Saladin)
Fortunately, in the year after a spotted lanternfly plague their population tapers considerably. There’s hope for summer 2026 in Rocky River.
On 21 July all three of this year’s young peregrines had been gone from the Cathedral of Learning for more than a month when — Surprise! — a very loud juvie chased Ecco to the nest.
Apparently tired of fending for herself, Yellow arrived on the scene to demand food from her father. But like all good peregrine parents, Ecco would not feed her. She complained bitterly. “I don’t wanna grow up!”
Things went back to normal for a while but six days later, on 27 July, Ecco and Carla arrived at the nest for a bonding session. They had to leave abruptly when a noisy youngster showed up off camera. It was probably Yellow.
Eventually Yellow will get the hint, leave the area and finally grow up. I can imagine Carla telling her, “May you have many children just like you.”
p.s. News from Downtown: I’m happy to see the Downtown peregrines are controlling the airspace.
eBird Checklist S258389927 Wed 9 Jul 2025, 12:24 PM One Oxford Centre, 426–518 4th Ave, Pittsburgh US-PA (40.4383,-79.9986) Reported by: MONTGOMERY BROWN 1 Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus)
The falcon was “harassing” a drone that was 350-400 feet off the ground. After about 30 seconds, the drone operator appeared to realize this and flew the drone off toward the Monongahela.
