Flap, flap: One of S’pore’s newest peregrine falcon chicks caught on camera taking flight

SINGAPORE – One of the second batch of chicks hatched by Singapore’s only known breeding pair of peregrine falcons has been caught on camera taking flight.

The moment was captured on the National Parks Board’s (NParks) 24-hour YouTube live stream of the nest on April 3.

The falcons’ nest is located above the 34th floor of OCBC’s Chulia Street headquarters, with the stream first launched by NParks on March 5.

In the live stream, the four chicks can be seen flapping their wings as they hop across the edge of their nesting area at about 6.58am.

One of the chicks then manages a short flight across the nesting area at 7.07am, while the other three chicks look on.

At about 8.19am, one of the chicks can be seen flapping its wings, before briefly taking to the air and flying off-camera in a test flight.

Dr Malcolm Soh, principal researcher at NParks’ wildlife management research branch, told The Straits Times on April 1 in response to queries that the chicks will remain with their parents until they are able to fly and hunt by themselves.

Once independent, they will disperse from their parents’ breeding territory to establish their own, said Dr Soh.

Dr Soh added that the chicks will not return to the current nest and will likely disperse to farther territories, possibly beyond Singapore.

“If an opportunity arises, we will attach tail-mounted Bluetooth tags to the fledglings. These will provide tracking data until the battery runs out or when their old tail feathers drop during moulting,” he said.

The public response to NParks’ live stream has been “largely positive”, with the stream receiving an average of 130 views at a time, said Dr Soh. The authority aims to keep the live stream available for as long as possible, until the chicks are no longer residing in the nest.

“We are encouraged by the positive response from the community to the peregrine falcon live stream, and will review the feasibility and opportunities for future live streams,” said Dr Soh.

The falcons belong to the Falco peregrinus ernesti sub-species native to Singapore, and are considered the rarest breeding birds here. They are distinguished from migratory peregrine falcons by their solid black heads.

The falcons were first found to have nested at the OCBC Centre building in April 2024, and they successfully hatched two chicks the following year.

These high fliers are the world’s fastest animals, capable of reaching speeds of more than 320kmh when diving for prey. They are also among the world’s most widespread bird species, and are known to nest on urban buildings.

Members of the public may report sightings of peregrine falcons to the Animal & Veterinary Service at www.avs.gov.sg/feedback. People are also advised to contact NParks’ Animal Response Centre on 1800-476-1600 if they see any fledglings on the ground.