Joy can be hatched in the most unexpected places. On Thursday, it was nestled into the ledge of a skyscraper in Melbourne’s CBD, where two peregrine falcon chicks entered the world for the first time.
The newest members of Melbourne’s favourite family hatched in the morning on top of 367 Collins Street, witnessed by more than 1,000 viewers on the building’s rolling live feed.
Peregrine falcons have treated the ledge as home for more than three decades, but cameras, and the mundanity of Covid-19 lockdowns, made them a social media phenomenon. The cameras were turned back on in August for the new breeding season as the first egg was laid.
Last year’s eggs were unable to hatch after the mother stopped incubating – likely due to a territorial dispute – making the stakes all the higher this year.
All day, hundreds of enthusiasts flocked to a Facebook group dedicated to 367 Collins to weigh in on the unfolding action, as expectation swelled over the last of the three eggs to hatch. The group, aptly titled “Falcon Watchers”, has grown to more than 50,000 members from a few hundred in 2020.
“Has the third egg hatched?” one user anxiously posted on Thursday afternoon. “Work is rudely interrupting my live stream.”
“Happy that the pigeon carcass has blown away,” another commented, after an unpleasant sight in the frame was removed. “Much better view of the hatchlings.”
The falcons were first noticed in 1991 by Dr Victor Hurley, the volunteer leader of the Victorian Peregrine Project, who saw them attempting – without success – to raise eggs in a metal rain gutter on a city building.
The following year, he placed a wooden tray with some sand on a high-up window ledge – and the birds have since returned annually to the office tower to lay their eggs.
During Covid lockdowns, thousands of house-bound people tuned in to a 24-hour webcam stream of the nest, hosted on YouTube and on the building’s own website, every day.
The species is known as being the fastest animal on Earth, reaching speeds of over 320km/h, and for being a picky nester. Three decades ago, they were on the brink of extinction due to pesticides but made a remarkable comeback and are now listed as “secure” in every state bar South Australia.
Holly Parsons, manager of priority sites at BirdLife Australia, had the live feed open on her monitor all day. She said there was a lack of awareness about how many bird species share our urban spaces – and how rare they are.
Nearly 30% of threatened species, including plants and animals, live in Australian cities. “I don’t think we realise how lucky we are – it’s really quite extraordinary,” she said.
“We tend to build our cities in high biodiversity hotspots – so creating spaces [like 367 Collins] where we can share with wildlife is important.
“It provides them with a home, but there’s also more research coming out about the benefits of connecting with nature. It’s good for our wellbeing and it’s good for our health – the more opportunities we have, the better off we feel.”
Days ahead of BirdLife’s famous Aussie bird count beginning, Parsons said becoming an enthusiast was akin to a “lightbulb moment”.
“We see them all the time so aren’t always aware of them. When you start looking, it’s like a lightbulb goes off,” she said.
“You’ll find them everywhere.”
