Tompkins Square red-tailed hawks, Christo and Amelia, have welcomed three chicks for the 2024 nesting season.
I've refrained from posting anything until we were sure how many chicks there were. And, they've been difficult to see after hatching in mid-April. The photo above was taken April 30.
Backing up a bit, these photos are in chronological sequence from when I was first able to see a hatchling clearly.
April 24, one chick visible who was likely the oldest, making them about 9 days old.
The second chick is barely visible behind some sticks as Amelia feeds both chicks.
April 25:
April 29 - one chick is in front of Amelia, the other in the center of the nest, and the third behind that one.
Look at those wings!
This photo was taken the following day, on May 1, and I swear the chick doubled in size overnight.
The second chick is hiding behind the branch on the right.
Amelia watches closely as one nestling chokes down a large piece of food.
The third chick is just visible to the left of the two in the sun.
May 2:
Amelia feeding all three:
We finally have a decent look at all three heads.
If all goes well, the chicks will be ready to fledge the nest in about a month.
As always, our primary concern for them is ingesting rat poison. The park does not use it, but rodenticide is present throughout the neighborhood on private property.
Once they leave the nest, then the fledglings are vulnerable to many things including dogs. The young hawks spend a lot of time on the ground learning to fly and practicing their hunting skills. They use the main lawn as well as the fenced-in gardens in the park, so it is extremely important to keep dogs out of those areas while the fledglings learn their life skills.
