Four chicks during a feeding in Week 2, 6 May 2026 (photo from the National Aviary falconcam at the Univ of Pittsburgh)

10 May 2026

As of yesterday, Hatch Day was two weeks ago at the Pitt peregrine nest. Let’s look at their Week 2 development in a photo-per-day slideshow from the National Aviary’s Cathedral of Learning falconcam. The date span is 3 May to 9 May 2026.

This week’s big accomplishments were completion of their second down, the start of flight feathers, and motoring around on the nest.

At 8 days: The chicks begin to grow their second down. They are so big now that their parents stand close but do not brood them as they did last week. The chicks’ primary wing feathers begin to grow (not noticeable yet).

At 10 days: Second down is complete. Chicks begin to grow tail feathers (retrices) though these are not visible on camera yet. They break the huddle on warm days.

At 12 days: On the chicks’ faces, their ear is now distinct. It looks like a black spot on the cheek behind the eye.

Notice that the ear is distinct on the chick’s cheek, Day 12, 7 May 2026 (photo from the National Aviary falconcam at the Univ of Pittsburgh)

At 14 Days = 2 weeks: Flight feathers growing on wings and tail are visible now, circled in the photo below. From Day 14 forward a chick can be aged by measuring his tail feathers which grow 2mm per day. The chicks move off the scrape and sit like Buddhas.

Flight feathers noticeable at two weeks old, 9 May 2026 (photo from the National Aviary falconcam at the Univ of Pittsburgh)

Activity at the nest will pick up next week.

Watch this growing family on the National Aviary falconcam at the University of Pittsburgh.