Ready to Fly?
The young falcons in this nest are close to being able to take flight into the wider world. These young birds bear little resemblance to the downy chicks that hatched a little over a month a half ago.
The flight pen allows room for the birds to stretch their wings and and strengthen their flight muscles. As the bird continue to develop they appear eager to take their first flight. In the video below watch as one of the male juveniles makes good use of the space in the pen “hop-flying” and clambering up the sides.
On Monday DGIF biologists will access the ledge and install a door opening device. Ingeniuosly crafted from a frozen bottle of water and bungee cords, this trigger allows the door to be opened with no humans nearby to startle or disturb the birds. Once the ice melts, the door swings open and the young have access to the entire ledge. DGIF staff and volunteers will keep a close eye on the birds from vantage points in and on surrounding buildings as well as the streets below. Should any of the fledglings encounter difficulties we’ll be able respond quickly.