ST. LOUIS — There are only a few weeks left to watch the falcon chicks at Ameren Missouri's Sioux Energy Center grow. Since the three female chicks hatched in March, their parents have been bringing them food to help them grow strong for their next big stage – learning to fly. Their maiden flights will be in the coming weeks.
"Many people watch Falcon Cam in anticipation of seeing the eggs hatch, but I really enjoy this phase of watching the chicks grow and develop – something most of us would never see on our own,” said Kevin Kersting, manager of technical services at Ameren Missouri. “We’re excited that the chicks appear to be thriving, and hope people continue to take advantage of this opportunity to see them up close before they fly away.”
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The healthy chicks will begin learning to fly in the coming days and will spend several weeks mastering the skill before their parents teach them to hunt. During this time, they will continue to bring prey to the nest to feed them, and either the mother or father will always remain nearby to protect the nest from predators.
“One of my favorite parts about the Falcon Cam program is being able to answer questions from viewers about the falcons,” said Jeff Meshach, deputy director, World Bird Sanctuary. “People are very interested to learn which roles mom and dad play in caring for the chicks, when the chicks should reach developmental milestones, and how falcons defend their territory.”
Viewers can read Jeff’s responses to questions about the falcons and submit their own questions on the Ask Jeff blog at Ameren.com/Falcon-Watch/Ask-Jeff.
Now also is the time that the chicks get to show off their new bracelets. Each boasts an ankle band to help keep track of them after they leave the nest. Meshach, from World Bird Sanctuary, applied those bands last week. Earlier this month, he successfully banded four chicks at Ameren Missouri's Rush Island Energy Center.
“Chicks are banded for research purposes at around 20 days old because that is when they have grown adult-sized feet – even though their bodies are still very small,” said Sarah Kendrick, state ornithologist, Missouri Department of Conservation. “Since all three chicks are female, they were given a bigger band because females in their species grow to be much larger than males. The banding is harmless for the chicks and will enable researchers to track their migration patterns over time.”
Watch the falcons live from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. CDT seven days a week at AmerenMissouri.com/FalconWatch, which also includes clips of fun falcon facts and educational materials.
About Ameren Missouri
Ameren Missouri has been providing electric and gas service for more than 100 years, and the company's electric rates are among the lowest in the nation. Ameren Missouri's mission is to power the quality of life for its 1.2 million electric and 132,000 natural gas customers in central and eastern Missouri. The company's service area covers 64 counties and more than 500 communities, including the greater St. Louis area. For more information, visit Ameren.com/Missouri or follow us on Twitter at @AmerenMissouri or Facebook.com/AmerenMissouri.
About World Bird Sanctuary
In 1977 WBS was founded by the late Walt Crawford, and is currently directed by Dawn Griffard. WBS is dedicated to the preservation of all birds and their habitats, and accomplishes this through rehabilitation, education, propagation, field studies, advocacy and services. WBS has been banding Peregrine Falcons since 1985. Through captive breeding and release efforts in the mid to late 80's, WBS is responsible for bringing the Peregrine back to Missouri as a breeding species.
About Missouri Department of Conservation
MDC protects and manages Missouri's fish, forest, and wildlife resources. We also provide opportunities that enable you to enjoy those resources. MDC helps Missourians discover and learn about nature.
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