Shook Nesting Peregrine Falcons Star in New YouTube Livestream

The firm is pleased to present the Shook Falcon Cam Livestream, a YouTube page featuring Shook’s bonded nesting pair of peregrine falcons. The falcons are currently guarding and sitting on four eggs on top of the firm’s 24-story Kansas City building, with an expected hatch date toward the end of April or early May. Once the eggs hatch, viewers will be able to watch the parents feed the young and see the progress as the chicks, called eyasses, grow and learn to fly. 

Events to Watch on Falcon Cam—Peregrine Falcon Timeline (can fluctuate): 

  • Eggs are laid in April; parents attend to eggs
  • Chicks hatch in late April to early May 
  • Chicks banded 20 days after hatching (leg circumference growth stops after 20 days, ensuring bands do not harm legs)
  • Chicks attempt flights in June (chicks become juveniles and fledge in July to early August)

It Takes a Village

Before Shook’s newly hired Technology Infrastructure Manager Christian Scott was shown his desk last spring, someone asked, “So will you get a camera on that thing?” The “thing” was a rooftop nest box. For years, it had been a dream of a group of Shook employees to have a livestream of the returning falcons raising their chicks, but the details of the challenge and then the pandemic created roadblocks. In less than a year, however, Scott and a team of Shook employees accomplished the task.

Placing a camera on top of a skyscraper so that it provides a 24/7 consistent feed to viewers and can withstand the fierce winds and other weather events at such an altitude was not easy. It involved Scott and others in Shook’s IT team, notably Solutions Architect Clayton O’Dell, and a supportive Shook team outside of IT, including Facilities Manager J.D. Schehrer. 

Chief Engineer Ryan Bigham of The RMR Group, who manages the building, performed the rooftop work, placing the camera on the nest box that sits on the north edge of the building facing downtown Kansas City. Bigham installed the camera and cables in the fall and winter, before the falcon’s arrival this spring. Maintaining a peaceful environment with as little disturbance as possible means careful management of building maintenance throughout the birds’ stay. This includes limiting human interactions. 

“They can get pretty territorial, said Bigham. “They won’t immediately attack, but they will warn you to back off.” 

A Close-up View and Conservation

The male falcon has yet to be identified, but thanks to the webcam and its close-up views of the birds, his leg band numbers and photo are being shared with other breeding programs for a hopeful identification in the future. The female bird had previously been identified as “Endura,” an eight-year-old falcon hatched, banded and named in Omaha, Nebraska. Remarkably, due to her calm nature, Endura was identified by Missouri Department of Conservation Urban Wildlife Specialist Christopher Cain years ago while working on Shook’s rooftop. “I have been doing this for decades,” Cain said, “and she [Endura] is the most docile bird I have encountered in my experience with wild falcons.”

The nest box, the result of a partnership between Shook and the Missouri Department of Conservation, was first placed in 2016 and remained empty until 2018 when Endura and her mate chose to raise their first chicks there. To date, the pair have produced 22 chicks. Shook’s Falcon Cam has shown both to be devoted parents, taking turns sitting on this year’s eggs.

Once close to perishing from Missouri, peregrine falcons are aerodynamic raptors capable of diving at speeds of more than 200 miles per hour to catch their prey, which consists of other birds and small mammals. Keeping the population of non-native pigeons under control is considered one of the services peregrine falcons perform for urban communities. 

Follow on Social
Shook Marketing Department Designer Andrew Sutherlin worked with the IT team to provide the YouTube page for the livestream. In addition to YouTube, the Falcon Cam will be announced on the firm’s LinkedIn with occasional updates to follow on the firm’s Instagram page @shookhardybacon. 

Shook Peregrine Falcon Nest Box Facts
Missouri Department of Conservation

Who — Shook, Hardy, Bacon L.L.P
Where — 2555 Grand Blvd, KCMO
When — Nest Box Placed in 2016 (First chicks = 2018)
Nest Box Adult Tenants (Mating Pair)
Mom: Color Band Black/Red 53/U from Omaha, Born 2016, Named Endura 
Dad: Color Band Black/Blue A/80 from unknown, age unknown, Name unknown
Nest Box Successful Bandings Total
22 chicks banded

* Missouri Department of Conservation Urban Wildlife Specialist Christopher Cain provided his knowledge and the falcon statistics for this article, including the Shook nest box facts table and the peregrine falcon timeline of life-stage events.