Brussels’ peregrine falcon eggs hatch

The first two peregrine young of the season hatched this week from their nest in the tower of the St. Michael and St. Gudula's Cathedral in the centre of Brussels. As every year, a pair of peregrine falcons takes up nest in the tower. This year’s pair, a mother and her son, has produced two young, reports brusselnieuws.be.

The two falcon chicks hatched from their eggs on Thursday, and hundreds of bird enthusiasts are tuning in to follow their development live via a webcam located next to the nest. The fledglings are expected to take their first flights in about two to three weeks.

The falcon population in Brussels has been on the rise in recent years, after the species was nearly extinct in Belgium due to pesticide pollution. This year already, 12 falcon pairs have been observed in the Brussels region. Mother-and-son pairs are common among falcons and do not pose a problem for the species.