Molted feathers at the Pitt peregrine nest, 28 April 2026 (photo from the National Aviary falconcam at the Univ of Pittsburgh) 6 May 2026 Early last week many of us noticed a long feather at the nest. Where did it come from? Not from prey. On Tuesday 27 April, Carla preened vigorously and pulled it away from her wing. Video segment from the National Aviary falconcam at the Univ of Pittsburgh, 27 April 2026, 5:00pm 24 hours later the discarded feather was near the chicks as Carla fed them. A smaller feather was visible as well (photo at top with arrows). Carla is molting but Ecco is not. Male and female peregrine falcons (Falco peregrinus) that are resident in the mid-latitudes molt at slightly different times. Females molt their primary wing feathers while they’re incubating eggs and brooding young (March-May) because their mates are doing all the hard flying to provide food. The males molt their primaries in July after teaching the young to hunt. Read more about molting at Time to…
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