At least one of the Red-tailed Hawk chicks has started the hatching process! Check out a star-shaped pip (or break) on the shell of the back-right egg as Big Red rises over her clutch on the morning of April 24. The first egg is now 38 days into the incubation period, and well within the window for hatching.

“Pipping” refers to the process of the chick initially breaking through the shell, using a hard projection on its bill called the egg tooth. The resulting hole is the “pip” that the chick then enlarges to finish hatching. It can take up to 12 hours for a chick to make its way out the egg, so stay tuned for more hatching action!

Watch live at allaboutbirds.org/cornellhawks

Get answers to frequently asked questions about the hawks: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/bi...

A Red-tailed Hawk pair has been nesting above Cornell University’s athletic fields since 2012. They have made use of two different light towers for their nest sites. In 2012, 2015, and 2018–2023 they used a tower near Fernow Hall, and in 2013, 2014, and 2016, they used the tower nearest Weill Hall. We installed cameras at both of these sites to get a better look at the intimate behavior of these well-known birds as they raise their young amid the bustle of a busy campus.

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