Pitt peregrine chicks at 3 weeks old, 16 May 2026 (photo from the National Aviary falconcam at the Univ of Pittsburgh)

17 May 2026

By mid May, southwestern Pennsylvania’s peregrines have chicks that are growing by leaps and bounds.

This year we don’t have as many known active nests due to lack of observers and lack of reports on eBird, so I’ve reduced the peregrine map to six active sites though we have no recent reports on two of them: Monaca and Westinghouse. I am hopeful.

Peregrine territories in southwestern PA, May 2026 (markup by Kate St. John)

Site List and latest activity. There are probably more than the four sites. (Yellow = active nest in 2026, including one failed nest. Boldface dates are May 2026.) Maybe the solo peregrines reported at West End Bridge/North Shore area and Sharpsburg Marina are nesting somewhere. Observers needed!

Map legend: Dark blue=bridge sites, Red=building sites, Pale blue=no success as of May 2026

There is happy news at the active sites. It’s always fun to see baby birds.

Activity in the region:

Cathedral of Learning, Univ of Pittsburgh:

As of yesterday the four chicks at Pitt are three weeks old. In the photo at top you can see their primaries and tail feathers growing. They now have “faces.”

Carla feeds the four chicks, 16 May 2026 ()

Downtown Pittsburgh, 3rd Avenue:

On 11 May Jeff Cieslak and I watched the female apparently brooding while the male watched from above. The pair even did a nest exchange.

Two adults at the nest area, Male at top, female either incubating or brooding at bottom, 11 May 2026 (photo by Kate St.John)

On 15 May Jeff got a photo of an adult feeding nestling(s), taken from Bigbee Field 0.77 miles away. Heat shimmer at that distance makes it difficult to get a clear shot.

Adult feeding nestlings at Third Ave Downtown, 15 May 2026 (photo by Jeff Cieslak)

Since we don’t know the hatch date, we will have to start regularly checking from street level to so see them at the ledge opening whenever they appear.

East Liberty Presbyterian Church steeple: Nest failed at the end of March. Read more here.

Sewickley Bridge, Ohio River:

Adult female “Wrench” at Sewickley Bridge, 12 May 2026 (photo by Jeff Cieslak)

The adults are very watchful now that they have young in the nest.

Today, 17 May, Jeff Cieslak saw four young. They look to be the same age as the Pitt peregrine chicks.

Four nestlings at Sewickley Bridge as seen on 17 May 2026 (photo by Jeff Cieslak)

The adults are very busy with food deliveries.

Adult peregrine arriving with food at the Sewickley Bridge nest, 13 May 2026 (photo by Jeff Cieslak)

    NOTE: If you’re viewing this on mobile and cannot see the video: A Facebook bug prevents displaying of embedded Facebook posts on some mobile devices. Until Meta fixes it click here to see Dave’s video.

The recent status table at top is just a screenshot taken on 17 May 2026. Here’s the up-to-date table if you’re reading this many months later.