New Brunswick

Hopewell Rocks official says 2 peregrine falcon chicks died

The final two peregrine falcon chicks that were nesting at the Hopwell Rocks provincial park have died, according to the park.

Park official says it is not uncommon for falcon chicks to fall from their nests

The final two peregrine falcon chicks that were nesting at the Hopewell Rocks provincial park have died, according to the park.

"We are saddened to report that sometime over the last 24 [hours], our remaining two peregrine falcon chicks have also fallen from the nesting cliff," the park posted on its Facebook page.

"This is not uncommon in the wild but does little to comfort those who have been watching them progress."

The birds were not yet able to fly. They were nesting at the Big Cove look-off.

Three peregrine falcon eggs hatched in May in the popular southern New Brunswick park.

But Kevin Snair, the supervisor of park interpretive services, said last week one of the chicks went missing.

At the time, the park official said he expected the baby bird got too adventurous and fell off the cliff.

The park also came out earlier this week saying it needed to institute a drone policy after a remote-controlled unit was caught hovering close to where the falcon chicks were living.