More info: The male red tailed hawk (Otto) and female(Su-Sue) have been nesting there since 2012. The project was started by alumna and avid-bird watcher Anne Marie Higgins in memory of her late husband, Hon. Thomas W. Higgins, Jr., a well-known Syracuse city court judge. The webcam is turned on from around March, when the eggs have been laid, to around June when the chicks leave the nest.
Elsewhere in New York City, red-tailed hawks have been observed soaring over Fifth Avenue, nesting inside Flushing Meadow Park’s Unisphere and hunting above Washington Square Park.
Red-tailed hawks are the most common hawk found in North America. They are found throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Central America. Red-tailed hawks can be present in many different habitats, including open fields, deserts, parks, woodlands, and forests. They usually occupy the same territory on a year-to-year basis and can be quite aggressive in defending their territories and protecting their nests.
Red-tailed hawks reach sexual maturity at 3 years of age and remain with the same partner for years. The mating season begins in early March when they may be seen performing aerial courtship displays.
The female red-tailed hawk will lay one to five eggs in early April. Both parents will take turns incubating the eggs for 28 to 35 days until they are ready to hatch. The parents typically take care of their young for up to six weeks until they are ready to fly. Once they can fly, the young will hunt independently of their parents.