PORTLAND -- The fact that all three eggs in the downtown Portland raptor nest hatched during a 24-hour window was a good sign that the Red-tailed Hawk chicks were off to a strong start, according to bird expert Bob Sallinger.
"This is good news for the chick in the last egg laid. If it had hatched 4 to 5 days after the first egg, it would have been at something of a disadvantage since it would be significantly smaller than its siblings. Viewers from prior years probably recall the smallest nestling taking a bit of a beating when it competed for food," Sallinger, with the Portland Audubon Society, explained in his online blog.
The first hawk egg hatched at about 4:05 p.m., on April 14 as viewers from across the nation and Portland watched live on the KGW/Audubon Raptor Cam. The two other chicks hatched in the cover of darkness either that same night, or early the next morning.
Since they emerged, the chicks' two parents have been taking turns sitting on the babies to keep them warm and feeding them small bits of meat.
"The parents will continue brooding the young to keep them warm. They are not yet able to thermoregulate effectively on their own. At seven to ten days out you will start to see them out in the open more although a parent will always be close by," Sallinger said.
The chicks will grow "incredibly fast," Sallinger added. and could be ready to take their first flights within about 42 days.
First hatching spotted on live Raptor Cam
Paul Kenney, a news employee watching the bird's nest from KGW Studios, spotted the first new chick and was excited to announce it in the newsroom
Kenney said he watched as one of the adult Red-tail hawks got up to shake out its feathers just long enough for Raptor Cam viewers to see the chick crack through.
Within moments the adult hawk, identified by one viewer as the male, moved back over the three eggs.
Viewers across the United States, from Florida to Albany watched.
"While Dad was rearranging the eggs I could see a little one pecking at that hole with a tiny beak," KGW.com user mattsmom said. "Wait til your mother gets home!"
"Interestingly the first egg last year also hatched on April 14th, so she is on virtually the exact same schedule as last year," said Sallinger.
"What an amazing event occurring just over our heads! It is a reminder that we should look up more often. In fact, our yards and neighborhoods are full of birds going through the very same process," Sallinger added.
http://www.kgw.com/video/featured-videos/Raw-video-First-raptor-egg-hatch-90894269.html video of hatch
http://www.kgw.com/lifestyle/raptor-cam This is the cam with the plastic bag in it.
