No chance to watch Brussels' peregrine falcon nests this year

The chance to watch livestreams of peregrine falcons breeding in nests at Brussels’ cathedral, the church of Saint Job in Uccle and the ULB university campus will not be possible this year via due to “administrative” issues, the project’s creator has announced.

The three webcams at these locations, normally streamed at www.fauconspourtous.be, recorded thousands of people tuning in from all over the world to see the birds in the breeding season – April and May. In one year there was a record three million log-ins.

The project is of scientific interest, but also appeals to everyone, creator Didier Vangeluwe said.

The unique site allowed onlookers to follow the birds' life in three nests in different parts of the city, including the young falcons’ first flights – at the end of May or the beginning of June.

“I am disappointed, angry and even furious,” Vangeluwe told Bruzz, noting he receives several emails asking where the images are every day.

“The project has been around for 20 years and has reached people worldwide. The people at home find it interesting and that’s why I do it.

"We received visitors from more than 100 countries on the site every year. For me it is clear: this opportunity has to come back."

Vangeluwe, who has been monitoring the population for 20 years on behalf of the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, said there were 13 pairs of peregrine falcons in Brussels, a number that has remained stable for four years.

“Brussels is really a hotspot for peregrine falcons and in a relatively small city, spread over barely 160km², that is exceptional.”

Peregrine falcons naturally breed on rock faces and cliffs, but in cities they find an alternative in tall buildings such as church towers and campuses.µ

This is why, in Brussels, ornithologists use specially placed nesting boxes at the Cathedral of Saint Michael and Saint Gudula, the Church of Saint Job and the ULB. Other nests are located at Schaerbeek and Saint-Gilles town halls.

This year, a couple is likely to breed on the Koekelberg Basilica for the first time, Vangeluwe said: “In previous years there was already a presence, but without a suitable nest. This year it is looking good.”

The population is doing well. The couples raise their young every year and many adult birds return to their nest from the year before.:

"This is an important indicator of the health of the population," Vangeluwe said. "We follow that up by putting rings on the youngsters. In this way, we can see how many survive, whether they return, and how many offspring there are per litter. Brussels is good in all these areas."

He added: “In Brussels, the survival rate is remarkably high. In Paris, a much larger city, there are fewer of them."

An estimated 300 pairs of peregrine falcons live throughout Belgium. Pairs also breed in the outskirts of the capital, such as in Drogenbos and Vilvoorde.