Barcelona, April 14 – The Sagrada Familia in Barcelona welcomed two new residents this Sunday: two peregrine falcon chicks. They were born in a nest located on the Passion Façade of the iconic basilica. The parents are a 17-year-old male, originally from the cliffs of Montjuic, and a wild, unbanded female. The pair had been incubating four eggs for a month, with three successfully developing. A third chick is anticipated to hatch in the coming hours.
Live Monitoring of the Hatching Process
The hatching of the eggs and the birth of the chicks have been broadcast live via a webcam installed in the nest box on the basilica. This camera provides a 24-hour feed of the stable falcon pair’s life. The initiative aims to disseminate and share the breeding process, which typically occurs between March and April.
A Successful Reintroduction Project
According to Sergi García, a technician monitoring Barcelona’s falcon population for Galanthus Natura, the newly hatched chicks are expected to fledge and leave the nest in approximately two to three months.
This nest is part of a project initiated in 1999 by the Barcelona City Council and Galanthus Natura to reintroduce the peregrine falcon. “A successful initiative for both the recovery and promotion of local biodiversity,” states the organization. The bird had disappeared from the city in the 1970s due to hunting and factors such as pesticides affecting eggshells. To prevent its disappearance, reintroduction efforts began in urban environments.
Urban Buildings as Natural Cliffs
Urban settings are highly suitable for falcons, which prefer cliffs over forests. “Buildings are like cliffs for them,” explains García. They view these structures as ideal nesting sites and places to find food, such as pigeons, turtle doves, parakeets, and small birds.
Since 2005, a total of 56 chicks have been born at the Sagrada Familia. The basilica became home to a falcon pair in 2003, with the first birth recorded two years later in 2005. Each spring, the falcons continue to breed at the basilica. Last year, hatching occurred on April 10, and this year, two days later. The existing agreement between the Municipal Institute of Parks and Gardens and the Board of Trustees of the Sagrada Familia has been renewed to promote the continuity and dissemination of the project.
Peregrine Falcon Population in Barcelona
Since 1999, there are eight pairs of peregrine falcons in Barcelona, distributed at various locations including a hotel near the sea, the headquarters of the Department of Social Rights, the School of Industrial Engineers on Diagonal Avenue, the Port of Barcelona, the Montjuic cliff, a cable car tower, the second floor of the Collserola telecommunications tower, and the Sagrada Familia, where the latest and most publicized chicks of the city have been born.
In addition to this population, there are two pairs in L’Hospitalet del Llobregat, one in Santa Coloma de Gramanet, and another in Sant Adrià del Besòs. The first reproduction of peregrine falcons in the region occurred in 2003 at the Besòs thermal power plant. Since then, the number of specimens has continued to increase each spring.
Source: telecinco.es
