Eyewitnesses report that the juvenile peregrines have been spotted flying as high as the 47th-49th floors of a nearby building.  They are practicing taking off, flying, and landing. 

The first few months of flying are dangerous for young peregrines as they must learn to fly successfully at high speeds.  Think of a teenager who just gotten his or her driver's license and then is handed the keys to a car that can go 150MPH!!!  One thing Mother Nature does to help the new flyers survive is to give them "Speed Brakes" of a sort.  If you look closely at the edges of the juvenile feathers you can see a brownish ROUGH edge.  This causes a slower flow of air over the wing and makes the young falcons fly slower than adults who have molted into adult feathers. Look closely at pictures of the young falcons and the parents to see the difference.

SW's adult plumage 
(notice the difference in color as well as the stucture)

The young falcons will stay close to the nestsite for at least the next month or two.  Right now they are practicing their flying skills, and their parents bring food to them.  Next, the parents will begin to teach the fledglings how to hunt.  Scott Wright, volunteer peregrine falcon nest monitor for the Ohio Division of Wildlife, reports:  "Soon the parents will drop the food in mid-air and watch the kids dive for it, then they will bring in live food, and drop it."  

This draws the 2004 Raptors in the City program to a close.   Will Buckeye and SW return to the Terminal Tower nestsite in Cleveland in 2005?  Be sure to join us early next year when the cycle of life begins again.  Until then, tune into  www.raptorsinthecity.org for news and check the live "FalconCam" at:  http://www.falconcam.apk.net/  

Our thanks to EcoCity Cleveland for generously providing and supporting the FalconCams as a public service.   EcoCity Cleveland is a nonprofit environmental planning organization that helps people live in greater balance with nature in Northeast Ohio.  To learn more, visit: http://www.ecocitycleveland.org/

Our special thanks to Scott Wright, volunteer peregrine nest monitor for the Ohio Division Of Wildlife, for his many years of care and concern for the nest and for the generous use of his fabulous photos.  They may be used in any non-commercial publication, electronic or print, but please give him photo credit.  And thanks to Ernie Cornelius for his photos of the fledglings.  

In addition, our thanks to all people who have contributed to saving the  peregrine falcon.  With the help of people from all walks of life, the species is returning to health after nearly becoming extinct in North America.

Soon, the chicks will begin their own lives and fly to parts unknown.  Since they wear bands, we may find out what happens to them.  Where will they go and how will their lives turn out? Buckeye and SW will watch over and care for their youngsters until they leave the area.