Carla shelters her chicks at 1 week old, 2 May 2026 (photo from the National Aviary falconcam at the Univ of Pittsburgh)

3 May 2026

Hatch Day at the Pitt peregrine nest was just over a week ago so now’s a good time to see how the chicks have grown.

This slideshow from the National Aviary’s Cathedral of Learning falconcam displays one photo per day from 25 April through 2 May 2026.

There are subtle changes in the day-by-day photos.

At Hatching: 35-40 grams, feeble, damp, pink, sparse down, eyes closed except when begging, open eye is slit-like.

On Hatch Day: The fourth egg hatched on 27 April; the chick was dry within an hour. Five hours later the newest chick (in green circle) was standing up for a feeding with his siblings.

Carla feeds four chicks, 27 April 2026 (photo from the National Aviary falconcam at the Univ of Pittsburgh)

At 5 days: Weight has doubled since hatch day, sits up, open eye is round. No second down yet.

At 6 days: Second down begins on wings (humeral and alar tracts, dorsal surface of wing).

At 7 Days = 1 week: Second down begins on abdomen and legs (femoral and crural tracts), chicks form a huddle in the nest scrape, can sit up but still wobbly. Sleep in a pile.

Yesterday when the chicks were one week old, one of them opened his wings while sleeping in the pile under Carla’s breast. I’ve marked up this photo to show feather development along his wing.

Carla shelters her chicks at one week old, 2 May 2026 (photo from the National Aviary falconcam at the Univ of Pittsburgh)

See photos of their expected development at: Peregrine chicks week-to-week development in pictures.

Watch the chicks grow on the National Aviary falconcam at the University of Pittsburgh.