Three Hatchlings Arrive For The Cornell Hawks In 2025

Big Red and Arthur have welcomed the next generation of Red-tailed Hawk hatchlings at their towering nest above Cornell University’s campus in Ithaca, New York! Their eldest chick, O1, hatched on May 3, followed by siblings O2 on May 7 and O3 on May 8. Tune in live to watch these nestlings grow up live on cam over the next month and a half as they prepare to fledge in June.

Update: Sadly, Red-tailed Hawk chick O3 died shortly after hatching.

Zooming in On Hatch

The Cornell Hawks Cam captured incredible moments this week as the chicks emerged from their shells. Hatching begins with “pipping,” where a chick first breaks through the shell using its “egg tooth”—a small, hard projection on its bill made specifically for this task. Watch this video to see the second egg pipping with the chick’s egg tooth visible during the process. Fun fact: The egg tooth falls off a few days after hatching.

Meet the “O” Group

The Cornell Hawks Cam has followed a unique naming tradition since streaming began in 2012, when the chicks were named C1, C2, and C3 (“C” for Cornell). Each year’s brood advances alphabetically. In 2025, we’ve reached the “O” group: O1, O2, and O3, named by hatch order. This naming tradition will continue as long as the hawks nest in their campus territory.

Follow daily updates about Big Red, Arthur, and the O’s @CornellHawks on Mastodon and Twitter/X.