The fourth peregrine chick has hatched

Webcam footage received from Salisbury Cathedral reveals that the fourth peregrine egg has hatched.

The fourth chick joined its siblings at around 11.15am this morning (29th April 2022). You can see the chick in the video below.

“Hatching is a tricky business for a small chick, who lies curled up inside the egg with its head tucked under a wing initially. When the hatching begins, the following 72 hour period is full with absorbing the remaining egg yolk for energy and activating the hatching muscle on the back of its neck.

“As this muscle contracts, it pulls the chick’s head up and brings the ‘egg tooth’ into contact with the shell to crack it. The chick commits to hours of work before fully hatching and breaking free from its shell. Understandably, rest is top priority after a chick has successfully hatched!”

The public is invited to observe the latest updates from the peregrines by using the peregrine livestream cameras and joining the dedicated Peregrine Community Facebook Group.