For those following the bird webcams at the Faculty of Architecture, it’s been an exciting time. When would the three eggs in the nest box hatch? This past Monday, it finally happened! Three tiny white fluff balls can briefly be seen whenever the mother leaves to grab a bite.
De slechtvalk in de toren bij bouwkunde heeft drie kuikentjes (Bron: webcam bouwkunde)
The peregrine falcon is a protected species, and for good reason: in the Netherlands there are currently only about 150 to 175 breeding pairs. That’s a big increase compared to the start of this century, when the number of pairs could be counted on two hands. Pesticides were the cause: these made the birds’ eggshells too thin, so they didn’t provide enough protection for the chicks.
The fact that a pair of peregrine falcons is nesting at the Faculty of A+BE is something to cherish, says Henk Drevijn, the official peregrine falcon manager at the faculty. “They’re magnificent creatures. They are the fastest animals in the world, they can reach speeds of up to 390 km per hour in a dive.”
Drevijn has already experienced many remarkable moments with the birds. Once, Egyptian geese took over the nest. “That goose started incubating there, but they have such large feet that they crushed the eggs.” Another time, a bird had flown into the building. Drevijn caught it using a large box and then released it back into the wild.
As manager, he occasionally climbs the tower—provided no birds are present—to carry out maintenance on the nest box, clean the webcam, or sweep out leftover prey remains. Delta joined him for a report.
How are the peregrine falcons on campus doing? And what are we doing in the freezer in the basement of the Faculty of Architecture? Find out in the audio story: The TU Delft Peregrine Falcon (Dutch audio only).
🎧 The TU Delft Peregrine Falcon (Dutch audio only)
Credits music: Pixabay/OpenMindAudio
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E.Heinsman@tudelft.nl
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